


The Strength of Love

by Rose_without_a_throne



Series: Haphne Fics [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Voldemort, F/M, James Potter & Lily Evans Potter Live, Ravenclaw Harry Potter, Wrong Boy-Who-Lived (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2021-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:47:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23234956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_without_a_throne/pseuds/Rose_without_a_throne
Summary: They should not have fallen in love. Her parents were pureblood supremacists and he was a half-blood. His twin is the Golden Boy of Gryffindor and she is the Ice Queen of Slytherin. Even with all of this Harry Potter fell hard for Daphne Greengrass. Will they be able to find acceptance of this who are most important in their lives?
Relationships: Daphne Greengrass/Harry Potter, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Series: Haphne Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1670566
Comments: 70
Kudos: 585





	1. Discovery

**Author's Note:**

> The character in this are also featured in my other fic, Harry's Guest. The two stories are unrelated and you don't have to read that one to understand this one, I'm making a series out of the two as I think it might make it easier to get to know my original characters that were introduced in that fic. 
> 
> Disclaimer: Harry Potter is the intellectual property of JK Rowling. I only own Holden Potter, Euphemia Potter, Gaius and Octavia Greengrass. I may add children in future chapters who would also be my own original characters

They had spent the whole day shopping with the children for school supplies. It would be the twins’ last year at Hogwarts, and Lily had wanted to make sure that all three of her children had new robes and clothing on top of the supplies and books that were necessary for their classes. Every year they made an entire day out of it about two weeks before they had to go off. They would invite Sirius, Remus, and the Weasleys; and they would all go to buy the children’s supplies together. Hermione Granger would stay the night with the Potters and they would head to Diagon Alley in the morning. It was especially easy given how close Hermione, Ron, and Holden were. After they went through the list they would let the children go their separate ways.

Holden was the Golden Boy of the Wizarding World. She remembers the day she saw He Who Shall Not be Named point a wand at the younger of her twins and the green light of the spell bouncing off of the baby and onto the Dark Lord. Holden had been okay and from that day on he had been known as the Boy Who Lived; and when he first went to Hogwarts he became Gryffindor’s Golden Boy. He was like his father many ways; he looked like James just without the glasses and messy hair. He was bold, stubborn, and known for the occasional mischief. He was a true Gryffindor; lion enough to make Godric Gryffindor himself proud. He was just like his father in that regard.

Just as Holden was like his father, Euphemia was like her mother. She had her mother’s red hair and facial features with the only trait she shared with her father being his brown eyes. She was quick as a whip and the smartest in her year. Like her mother, she excelled in all subjects and was the favorite of most of her professors. She was fearless and incredibly loyal to her friends and family. Out of all Lily’s children, Euphemia had the biggest heart. She was kind to all of those around her, yet fierce when necessary. She was the second of her children to have been sorted into Gryffindor, only one year after her brothers. 

Then there was Harry. She should have known that he would have ended up in Ravenclaw, especially since he had read most of the books in the Potter Library by the time he turned thirteen. He was almost identical to his twin brother with his mother’s bright green eyes and his father’s need for thick-rimmed glasses. She saw James in the way that Harry constantly had to brush his hair out of his eyes. Ever since he was little he would furrow his brow and bite his lip when he was concentrating; and she always found it endearing. Her eldest son was creative and idealistic as well as logical and intuitive. Overall, he was brilliant. While she had wished that he ended up in Gryffindor, even she had to admit that her eldest child was a kindred spirit to Rowena Ravenclaw. 

Lily valued the opportunity to spend some time alone with other adults. While she loved her children dearly, she often found their bickering to be disruptive to her experiments. It was especially disruptive when Holden had his friends over. While Hermione had been helpful to Lily with crafting the potions, Ron often quarreled with Harry. That of course would mean that Euphemia would take her older brother’s side, and there was no way that Ron was able to survive the wit of the two Potters. She enjoyed being able to have some time with people her own age.  
“Lily, have you been able to get much work done with all of the young people who congregate at your home?” Remus asked with a smirk. Lily glared at him. He had gone to the house for the batch of wolfsbane she made for him during one of Ron and Harry’s infamous spats. 

“It can be difficult.” Lily said. “Harry and Ron have been fighting like dogs. Remus mentioned having to break up a duel.” He had gone to the house for the batch of wolfsbane she made for him during one of Ron and Harry’s infamous spats. It was Remus who had to keep Ron from hexing Harry behind his back. She knew that her oldest would have been fine if it came to a duel. Remus told all of the rest of their group about this. All eyes turned to Molly Weasley as she gave a small chuckle. 

“Well, you know, boys will be boys” Molly said, dismissing Lily’s concern. Lily saw James look over at her. She was about to say something when James interrupted her.

“Perhaps we should see if the children are ready.” Her husband suggested. Molly Weasley was lucky that James stepped in when he did. The temper of Lily Evans Potter is something that a witch or wizard does not want to be on the receiving end of. The rest of the adults seemed to agree and began to head towards Weasleys’ Wizards Wheezes. 

When they approached the shop, most of the children were in front of the building speaking to each other. There was one exception. Harry was not with the other young people. Lily walked up to her daughter.

“Euphemia, where is your brother?” She asked. Euphemia pointed to the younger of the Potter twins. 

“Holden is over there.” The girl had a smart smirk on her face. Euphemia did not know that her mother was in no mood to play games. Once again James saved those around them from her fury. 

“Don’t worry Lilyflower. How about the three of you go home and I will go and find Harry. Does that sound okay?” He had put his hand on her shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. Lily pinches the bridge of her nose and nods. Lily apparated the children with her back to Potter Manor. 

James walked into the Leaky Cauldron just as Gaius and Octavia Greengrass were leaving the establishment. Gaius glared at James on his way out, leaving James confused as to the reason why. 

He found his son sitting at the farthest booth towards the back with a pensive look on his face and staring into an empty glass. When he got closer to the booth he realized that his son was not alone. There was a beautiful girl sitting next to Harry. She had her head on him, with her ear pressing against his shoulder, and her arms wrapped around his right arm. There was a sadness in her expression as James noticed that she was trying to comfort and draw comfort from Harry. It was the closeness of the gesture that surprised James. He was unaware that Harry was romantically involved with anyone, let alone such a a beautiful girl.

She looked up at him but did not indicate to Harry that he was there. James immediately noticed the red rims around her eyes and the guilt on his son’s face. The two of them were talking, but James could not hear what they were saying. Harry suddenly joined the girl in looking at him. He started to get up but James put his hand out motioning for them to stay there as he approached their booth and sat down.

“Son, I think we need to talk”

Lily was at the point of wanting to tear her hair out. Where were they? It had been nearly an hour since she had left Diagon Alley with Holden and Euphemia and James saying that he would return with Harry. She was tempted to call Sirius and Remus out there and start a search party out to look for the boy. The floo suddenly came to life with green fire. James came through and then Harry. She was about to start interrogating her son when the floo came alight again. She was even more confused when a beautiful blonde girl with blue eyes entered her living room. She really was a gorgeous girl. Her skin was pale. She had an elegant straight nose and plump lips. Her cheekbones were high and her eyebrows defined. 

“Harry, why don’t you two go upstairs while I talk to your mother. I’ll call you down when we’re ready to talk.” James said. She was about to protest until she noticed the dejected look on her son’s face. Harry nodded and guided the girl to the stairs. 

“James, what’s going on? Who is that girl?” She asked quietly.

“Her name is Daphne Greengrass.” Lily paled. She knew of the Greengrass family. While siding with neither the light nor the dark during the war, Gaius Greengrass is known to be a pure-blood elitist. She sat down on the nearest couch. James continued. “She’s a Slytherin girl in the twin’s year that Harry has apparently been dating for over two years. They kept it among their closest friends as she was afraid of how her parents would react if word somehow got to them.” It was a lot for her to process. While she was shocked to hear that her eldest had been in a long-term assumedly serious relationship, she was relieved that she and James were not the reason why they kept it a secret. 

“That doesn’t answer what is going on.”

“Well, when they found out the Gaius Greengrass was trying to negotiate marriage contracts for his eldest child; they thought that given our social status and family wealth that Harry could make an offer for her hand.” Lily felt a heavy pit of dread form at the bottom of her stomach. 

“Daphne asked Harry to meet them at the Leaky Cauldron, that’s why Harry wanted to wear his best clothes today and get the shopping done early. They said that he tried his hardest to make a good impression on her parents. Harry was polite and presented Gaius with everything that he could to prove that he was a wizard of merit. He even brought his Hogwarts reports, Dumbledore’s letter congratulating him for being the top of his class, and a letter from Saul Croaker offering him a job at the Department of Mysteries after graduation. 

“Gaius refused to even hear of a contract; going off about Harry was only a half-blood and no daughter of his would marry anyone who wasn’t a pureblood. Daphne expected her mother to say something to support her daughter but she didn’t even look at her. When Gaius was done yelling at Harry they got up to leave and Octavia Greengrass they told her daughter than she had 48 hours to make a choice and if she choose to stay with Harry that she would be disinherited from the family fortune and they would disown her as their daughter.” Lily was both angry and hurt for both young people. She had half a mind to go to Greengrass manor and challenge Octavia Greengrass to a duel. 

“So I’m assuming that she’s choosing Harry?” 

“Yes.”

“Then fine.” Lily fiercely asserted. “She’ll be better off with our family anyways. We’re significantly wealthier than those people, and Harry is heir to the estate. If they’re too stupid to see past their prejudice and see what a fine wizard our Harry is then screw them.” Lily began to leave the room. She wanted to comfort her son. She looked over and noticed Euphemia staring at her shocked. She must have heard the whole thing as she then looked at her father. Lily rushed past the girl and went upstairs. She then knocked on Harry’s door. 

When he opened the door, Lily brushed past him. Daphne got up from her seat at the bed and Lily threw her arms around the girl in a tight motherly embrace that was clearly something that she was either unused to or did not expect from her boyfriend’s mom. She feels the girl sink into the hug and return it. Lily can feel the girl crying. She whispered into the girl’s ear.

“Anyone who would give all of that up for my Harry is more than worthy in my book. You’re MY daughter now.” They stayed there until the girl stopped crying. When the girl broke from the embrace she hugged her son as tightly as she could. 

“After the graduation, you plan the wedding and your father and I will pay for it.” Harry broke from his mother and began to protest. Lily did not let him get a word out. “It will be one of the finest weddings the wizarding world has even seen and we’ll show those bastards what not good enough looks like.” The girl let out a watery laugh. Lily turned towards her. 

“Did you have an opportunity to get school supplies? Do you have clothes?” She asked. Daphne shook her head as she wiped her eyes. “Then I’ll take you shopping tomorrow. I want to get to know my future daughter-in-law. This is your home now. I know this probably isn’t the way you imagined meeting us but welcome to the family.”


	2. Communication

Holden had gone to the Burrow after they got home from Diagon Alley the night before. Therefore Holden did not know of the night’s events and the new addition to the family. When he left the Weasley home that morning, he invited his friends to come over and hang out with him. He wanted to be able to spend any free time he had with them this summer. They would not have much during the school year and this was the last summer they had before they would be thrust into the reality of adult life. There were some last-minute chores that Molly wanted her children to finish and Hermione chose to help them. Holden, wanting no part in unnecessary labor, decided to return home. When he entered his home through the floo his brother was laying on their mother’s couch reading a book about magical law. The house was quiet, unusually quiet. 

“Good morning” Harry greeted his twin while not taking his eyes off of his book.

“Where is everybody?” Holden asked, skipping the introduction. He and his brother weren’t necessarily close. Harry was more serious whereas Holden just wanted to have fun. Harry was quiet and took his time to think. Holden was loud and reacted quickly without thinking. The two were polar opposites and often butted heads because of it.

“Dad is in the den managing the properties. Mum and Euphemia went to Diagon Alley.” His brother said while flipping the page of his book. While he should have wondered why their mother and sister had to go back after they had spent the entire day before there; he brushed it off figuring that his sister might have forgotten something and went upstairs.

An hour later Ron and Hermione entered his room. Ron and Holden decided to fly around on the brooms James kept in the broom shed while Hermione decided to read outside. When they got downstairs Harry was still lounging on the couch reading. There was a chunk of hair that had fallen into his face and he swept it back. Ron glared at the older Potter twin when he noticed that Hermione seemed to check Harry out. Holden looked at both of his friends confused. They went outside and Holden and Ron went straight up in the air tossing a quaffle back and forth. 

“Holden, do you think Hermione likes your brother?” Ron asked as he caught the ball. He threw it back to Holden.

“I don’t know Ron. I mean it is possible. They have a lot in common.” Ron snorted indignantly. 

“Really? Like what” He asked. Holden could tell by his tone that he was jealous.

“Well they’re both know-it-alls. They both like books.”

“But your brother is so boring, and not to mention a bit of a prick.” Holden was starting to get annoyed. He could deal with Ron and Harry not getting along, but it bothered him that Ron thought that he could just insult Harry right to his face. Even though they often don’t see eye to eye, Harry was still has brother. Holden didn’t bad-mouth Percy to Ron, so why was it fair for Ron to insult Harry.

“He’s not a prick.”

“Come on mate! You were there last week.” The irritation was seeping through Ron’s. 

“Yes, and I saw how you pointed a wand at my brother’s back Ron. Just because you don’t get along with him doesn’t mean that he’s a prick.” Holden let the subject drop there. While he didn’t mention it to Ron, Holden remembers how his sister had almost immediately had her wand pointed at Ron’s cheek. She was prepared in an instant to hex Ron into oblivion if he even began to utter a spell and Holden has just stood there. 

“Blood is thicker than water” his sister’s voice rang through his thoughts clear as a bell. She had said that to him after the incident that Ron was talking about. Holden knew that his sister didn’t like Ron, and his feuding with Harry was part of it. 

He heard his name being called. When he looked down he saw that Hermione was standing next to his dad who was looking up at them. He motioned for Ron to start heading down, and the red-head nodded back at him. They headed down and carefully landed.

“Ron, Hermione, I need to borrow Holden for a moment. If you want to stay and hang out, that’s more than fine.” Holden was confused. He didn’t think he did anything that would warrant him getting in trouble. He followed his father into the den. His mother and sister were waiting for them. James closed the door. 

“Is something wrong Dad? Why isn’t Harry here?” Holden asked. He was even more confused as to why there was a family meeting happening without his brother.   
“Because this meeting is about your brother.” Lily answered. She looked over at James. They seemed to be coming to some sort of silent agreement about something before she continued. “Your brother had something difficult happen to him yesterday and I need you two to understand the entity of it. Euphemia, I know you caught part of it, but let us tell your brother.” His sister nodded. Holden felt a chill go down his spine. What kind of difficult? Harry seemed to be his normal self when he was reading on the couch earlier. 

“What happened?” Holden asked.

“We have a new member of the family.” James said. That did nothing to clarify anything for young man. James then went on to explain the events of yesterday with his son and daughter. He didn’t go into detail about what happened, as he and Lily knew how embarrassed Harry would be if his siblings knew all of the gritty details, but wanted to be sure that they understand just why Daphne would be staying with them for a while. Euphemia had only heard her mother’s reaction the day before and didn’t know the full extent to the happenings. Daphne hadn't opened up much when they went to Diagon Alley, but Euphemia had known it was serious by the simple fact that they had been stopped by a Greengrass house elf who had given them a suitcase of Daphne's things.

And for the second time that day Holden had to ponder the thickness of blood.

Daphne opened the suitcase her mother had made for her and was instantly saddened. Her mother only included the clothes and jewelry that she had received as presents over the past few years and things that she had been given by her friends. Nothing in the suitcase had been bought for her by her parents. There was no evidence of her family. Not even a note from her sister. Her parents were serious about this. They really didn’t want her anymore. 

When she looked at her boyfriend, who was currently making room for her things, what had been thrown together by her mother and bought for her by his, she found that she couldn’t regret choosing him. For her entire life her parents had been nothing but cold to her, not showing affection or tenderness towards her. She spent her entire life knowing that she was just something for her father to sell. She spent years craving warmth from her mother and father but received none. As the years passed she grew a hard-icy wall around her heart, she grew as cold as her family had always been to her. It was a defense mechanism. She adapted to how she was raised and that exterior she built would protect her from whatever cruel and heartless husband her parents would choose for her. It protected her from the knowledge that her parents loved Astoria more and that they never had been as cold to her sister than they had been to her.

And then came Harry. She didn’t think much of him at first. She assumed that he would be arrogant like his twin when they were standing next to each other in their group of first years. Then he got sorted into Ravenclaw rather than Gryffindor. He was smarter than the other kids in their classes, but she noticed pretty quickly that he more aware than to show off his intelligence. She recalled the first day of herbology where he made sure that there were no other hands raised before answering Professor Sprout’s question. Over the years she began to notice more and more of him. She noticed how he tried to tutor Neville Longbottom in Potions and how he would join Luna Lovegood in searching the castle for her shoes. In their fifth year she found herself wishing that he would ask her out, then he did. Harry had a warmth that she had never know before. He also understood how if felt to be outshined by their siblings. Harry’s twin was the Boy-Who-Lived and her sister was the apple of her parents’ eye. And once she had a taste of that warmth she could never go back to how her life had been. She wanted to bask in his warmth for as long as she could. She would certainly never give up that warmth for Gaius and Octavia Greengrass.

“Daphne,” he said breaking her from her thoughts “what’s wrong love?” She looked over at him and cried. He rushed over to her and wrapped her in a tight hug. 

“I just wanted them to love me like they love her.” She sobbed into his chest. He gently rubbed her back and let her cry. 

“I know, love” He said. She knew he felt guilty. He had nothing to be guilty for but there was no telling him that. He never wanted for her to have to choose between him and his family; but it was never an option for her. She would always choose him over whatever life her parents would have chosen for her. That doesn’t mean that it hurts any less. He let her cry. By the time she stopped crying all she wanted to do was lie down. She didn’t want his family to see how red and puffy her eyes got after crying, and she especially didn’t want Granger or Weasley to see her like this. 

Harry went downstairs and opened the fridge. He took out the hickory smoked ham and cheddar cheese that their mother gets weekly from a muggle deli, as well as mayo and mustard. He began to make her a sandwich when his brother walked in. Holden watched as Harry meticulously made the sandwich. He toasted the bread and was spreading the mayo. Holden didn’t say anything to his twin. He went up to him and patted him on the back. While others might not see it as a loving gesture, it is affectionate to them. Holden meant for it to show support, and Harry received the message. Harry returned it with an acknowledging nod. He meant that to be a thanks, and Holden understood it as such. 

Daphne ate when he returned. He also brought her a glass of water, which she drank quickly. She got up to brush her teeth as Harry got into his pajamas. They then switched when she returned from the bathroom. She was already laying under the covers when her returned and he joined her. Once he was under the covers she moved towards his and kissed his cheek. He turned in her direction and kissed her lips. The kiss became more heated and passionate. He moved to her neck. When he nipped her ear and she moaned. 

“Harry” Once her lips made that heavenly sound he reached for his wand and casted a silencing charm on the room. After it was cast he returned to her sweet lips. His fingers trailed the hem of her shirt and brunched it up under her bust. He traced circles into the familiar skin there and squeezed the twin mounds. He swallowed another moan from her as she tugged on his hair. Their love was sweet, passionate, and tender. It was everything that she craved to feel from another person emotionally and had never gotten until Harry. Sure, she had had boyfriends before him but none of them came close to making her feel the way he did. He made her feel loved, cherished, and adored. She had always tried to show him the feelings were reciprocated. While she wasn’t the best at conveying emotion, he got the message. They had each said “I love you” a thousand times through both words and actions. 

They eventually fell into blissful sleep. 

The next morning James went up to wake his oldest son up for breakfast. He softly knocked on the door. He got no reply so he gently opened it. He saw the two teens sleeping while holding each other. When he noticed that his son had no shirt on and saw their pajamas thrown carelessly around the bed, he closed the door. 

When he got downstairs, Lily looked at him; silently asking him if the two teens were coming for breakfast. James shook his head. Lily nodded and sat down to make her own plate. He looked at the table and saw that there were two extra teens sitting there. Apparently Ron and Hermione never left. James sighed. He hoped that this wouldn’t become a problem.


	3. Growing Connections

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonds being created and feelings are being learned of.

She woke up the next morning to sunlight pouring into his, no- their room. It was hard for her to believe the events of the past two days. Two mornings ago she had woken up in her rooms at Greengrass Manor which, while lavishly decorated, felt cold and empty. Yet now she found that Potter Manor was becoming more of home to her than her parents’ house had ever been. While her boyfriend’s family home was just as richly decorated as her family home, it had much more life. James and Lily Potter were a couple that genuinely love each other rather than the silent resentment that radiated between Gaius and Octavia Greengrass. The Potters were also a couple that loved their children. From what Daphne could tell, they were the type of children that would be proud of their children no matter what. In the Potters she found the family she always wanted. 

She turned to her boyfriend who was asleep next to her. She was so glad that his parents didn’t mind them sleeping in the same room. She had been snuck into the manor so many nights over their breaks from school that she got used to waking up next to him. She had even found on the nights that she spent in Greengrass Manor that she missed waking up to his scent and warmth. She always got the best night’s sleep when he was next to her. She knew that it would have been torture to sleep in a separate room knowing that he was just down the hall in another bed. She ran her finger down the length of his nose as gently as she could without waking him up. 

Daphne decided that it was time to begin her day. She gently slipped out of Harry’s arms and got out of the bed. She got dressed for the day and quietly left the room without waking up her boyfriend. She went to the kitchen and observed that there were two plates left for them on stasis. She smiled as she sat down in front of one of the plates and began to daintily eat. 

Harry didn’t bother to put a shirt on when he came downstairs. He was curious as to where his girlfriend went. When he got down the stairs he looked over and realized that he was being looked at. Harry didn’t realize that Holden’s friends had stayed the night. He didn’t know that until he saw Hermione Granger ogling him and Ron Weasley looking between the two of them with a scowl on his face. Harry shrugged and went to find his girlfriend. 

He sat next to her at the dining room table. He slid the remaining plate of food in front of him and summoned a knife and fork. 

“Good Morning Darling.” She said as a cute little smile appeared of her face. “I hope you slept well.” He smiled back. He often found himself wondering how he managed to get such a beautiful girlfriend. Not only was she beautiful but she was clever, funny, and adorable. He had known from their first date that she was the girl that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

“Good Morning, love” He said in a husky tone. “I did sleep well although I would have rather woken up next to my beautiful girlfriend rather than an empty bed.” She blushed and shivered. Over time she had learned that one of her favorite parts about sharing a bed with him was the way his voice sounded when he woke up. It was so husky and deep; she found it incredibly sexy. 

“I wanted to watch your mum make potions today, if that is alright with you?” She asked. His eyebrows furrowed a bit.

“Daphne, we’ve been dating for just over two years now. You should know that I won’t mind. I know that my mum won’t mind either.” She blushed. 

“I know. I was just taught that a witch should ask her husband for permission, and given that we are in a sort of pre-engagement phase...” She let the sentence drift off.

“It’s alright, love. Just know that in this family, you don’t need to ask permission. And in regards to the big decisions, they will be ours. They will not be mine alone.” He said knowing that that was another thing she had been taught. They held hands while they finished their breakfast quietly. When they were done he showed Daphne where his mother worked. He kissed her forehead. He opened the door for her and went back towards the rest of the house.

When she opened the door Lily was stewing over a large cauldron. Lily had a career selling potions to St. Mungo’s and private healers. Many families ordered healing potions from her. Lily looked up when she heard the door. She smiled at the girl who was standing in the open doorway.

“Good Morning Daphne.”

“Good Morning Mrs. Potter.” Lily smiled at the girl.

“My dear, you don’t need to call me Mrs. Potter. You may call me Lily or mum.” She frowned at the confused look on the girl’s face.

“I always had to be formal with my mother. I was to call her Lady Greengrass or madam.” Lily’s face softened at the comment. 

“Is there something that I can help you with?” Lily asked changing the topic. 

“I was wondering if you needed any help. I got an O in potions last year. I don’t know if Harry has mentioned it but I want to get my masteries in potions.” 

“Thank you, that would be lovely dear.” Lily smiled at the girl. “Today I’m making a basic healing potion. If you want to start cutting up some of the ingredients, they’re on the table over there.” Lily pointed to a table close to the cauldron. Daphne nodded and quietly began. Lily noted the care and preciseness that the girl performed the task with. 

“So tell me, how did your relationship with my son begin?” Lily asked. The girl smiled and told Lily of a crush that steadily blossomed on the quieter of the Potter twins. She told Lily of trying to stare at Harry while not being caught staring at him and wishing him to ask her out. She told her of not knowing that Harry was staring back at her. She laughed as she told the story of how he elaborately asked her out using a charmed book page from The Language of Flowers and lavender roses. Lily smiled at the love and affection that could be heard in the girl’s voice. Lily hadn’t known how smooth her son was. Using a transfiguration charm to make flowers bloom from a drawing in a book; it was brilliant. 

Harry was still shirtless when he had escorted Daphne to his mother’s workroom and didn’t notice Hermione Granger checking him out. He went upstairs to his room and grabbed the green jumper Daphne had given him for his birthday. She said that it made his eyes pop out. He wasn’t sure about that but he trusted her opinion in such matters. He went back downstairs and headed towards the library. 

Hermione continued to stare at Harry as he headed towards the library. She shook her head. She was sometimes confused her fascination with the older Potter twin. She didn’t like to get boy crazy. She was logical. Maybe that is what drew her to the older of the Potter twins. He was like her, but different. She wanted people to know how smart she was. That was why she always wanted to be the first to raise her hand. As a muggleborn, she felt the need to prove her magical ability. Meanwhile Harry waited for others to raise their hand before he raised his. She didn’t understand why when he was clearly one of the smartest students in their year, perhaps even in the entire schools. But he was so dreamy. Many girls that she talked to thought that Harry was the more handsome of the Potter twins, and while she cared for her friend dearly, she agreed. While the twins were mostly identical, Harry's eyes were more captivating and his smile was nicer. 

She pondered her crush on her friend’s twin as she went outside to read and watch Holden and Ron on their brooms. She saw Euphemia out there sunbathing and decided to sit next to the girl. There was a part of Hermione that wanted to ask the Potter sister about her oldest brother but she was hesitant. Euphemia was fiercely protective over her brothers and especially Harry. She didn’t know if the girl would help her. She then thought of Ron. She had always been attracted to him in some capacity, but she didn’t know how well they would work together. They argued so much; they were so different. Yet was there not the saying “opposites attract”. 

They were out there for a while when a pretty girl with straight blonde hair walked towards them. It took Hermione a moment to recognize who the girl was but realized that it was Daphne Greengrass approaching them. She turned towards her friend.

“Euphemia, what is the Ice Queen of Slytherin doing here?” Euphemia looked up at Hermione’s question. When the Potter sister noticed who was approaching them she smiled and waved. Hermione glared at the blonde.

“Daphne?” she questioned. “She lives here now.” Hermione was taken aback by the casual comment. There were a million questions going through her mind. When had she moved in? Why? And how hadn’t she noticed? And the blonde was suddenly standing near them. She smiled at Euphemia and seemingly ignored Hermione. 

“Euphemia, do you know where your brother is?” Daphne asked. Her voice was quiet and soft. It was Hermione’s first time hearing the Slytherin girl talk and she had to admit that her voice was beautiful. 

“He’s probably in the library sorting the books.” 

“Thank you!” Daphne said beginning the turn away. She paused and looked back to the Potter girl. “I love your swimming costume, by the way.” Hermione looked to her friend. She was wearing a rather pretty bikini. It was a sort of bluish-green that complimented both the girl’s slightly tan complexion and brought out the flecks of green in her brown eyes. Euphemia responded with a bright smile that reached to her eyes. The girl left, and Hermione’s curiosity grew. 

Daphne opened the door to the Potter family library. She had been impressed by the collection of books and assumed that it took the family decades, even centuries to amass it. She knew that Harry came from an ancient line of talented wizards, but she wouldn’t have guessed how dedicated Potters of the past were. When they got back from Diagon Alley the day before he had given her a tour of his favorite room in the house. He was able to tell her which books had been collected by which of his ancestors. His passion for the books had reminded her of just why she loved him. 

She found him sitting on one of the couches His brow was furrowed as he concentrated on a specific page of book he was reading. He hadn’t even heard her come in. He was lounged, with his feet on the ottoman that Lily had put there. She sat down next to him and situated herself under his arm and her head on his shoulder. He put down his book and turned towards her with a smile on her face. She looked up at him and stared into his beautiful green eyes. She reached up and put her hand on his cheek. He leaned down and took her silent invitation for a kiss. 

The kiss started out as a chaste one, but grew more passionate as they continued. She moved, laying down on the couch as he followed her. Her hands pulled the hair at the nape of his neck while pulling him closer to her. After a while he moved to her neck when he needed to take a breath. 

“Why didn’t you tell me that Hermione Granger has a crush on you?” She said with her eyes closed. He stopped. He moved away from her neck and looked down at her, seemingly searching her eyes. 

“What do you mean?” 

“She was practically glaring daggers on me when she first saw me today. Trust me, there was more to it than interhouse rivalries.” He sat up. 

“I hadn’t really noticed until yesterday. I thought I was just seeing things until I noticed Weasley glaring at me harder than he normally does. I never noticed before.” He said with his brow furrowed. “Honestly, you’re the only girl I notice these days.” He added cheekily. She smiled and pulled him down for another kiss. 

“Right answer” she muttered against his lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a couple ideas for this story and I want to know what y'all think. Should I leave this as a sort of fluff fic with a bit of angst or should I add some action?


	4. Jealousy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As others outside of the family begin to learn of Harry and Daphne's relationship, a certain green-eyed monster makes an appearance.

They had all come back to the house when it was time for lunch. Lily had made a small meal for the young adults in the house hoping that keeping their bellies full would keep them out of trouble.

There was a tapping on the window. It is what alerted Holden that Harry’s owl, Hedwig, had mail for them. He got up from his seat next to his best mate, who was looking at a quidditch magazine, to retrieve it. His mum had beat him to it. She opened the window and gently let the bird inside. She placed the mail on the table.

“Can one of you put Hedwig in her cage?” Lily asked the room of teenagers. Euphemia, who had changed out of her bathing costume, got up and gently coaxed the bird from her mother’s finger. The girl was stroking the bird’s feathers when Lily called out to her. “Be sure to give her some treats.” She looked through the pile of mail and sorted it. She looked over a couple of envelopes and catalog and called for Holden. 

“Yes, mum.” He answered staring at the ceiling.

“Can you go get your brother? Tell him that he and Daphne have mail.” She asked.

“Can’t you just send him a Patronus or something?” He responded with another question. He wasn’t paying attention to his mother because if he had looked over at her then he would have seen her glaring at him with such intensity that she could have made his head explode. James walked up behind her and put his hand on her waist in a comforting gesture. Hermione noticed the gesture and decided to act quickly. 

“I can do it Mrs. Potter” She volunteered. Lily gave her a weak smile. 

“Thank you, Hermione dear.” 

As she headed towards the library she contemplated romance once again. She had had a few boyfriends before. She dated Victor Krum briefly after the Tri-Wizard Tournament but they didn’t get farther than kissing. Then she had gone to one of Slughorn’s parties with Cormac McLaggen, but it ended in disappointment. McLaggen had done nothing but talk about himself and was an awful kisser. Hermione imagined that Harry would be much better. She had heard it said that it was always the quiet ones that were animals in bed. 

Yet Greengrass being in the house was concerning to her. It didn’t sit right with her. Why did the Potters let her live here? There was no logical reason that she could think of that didn’t involve Greengrass being in a romantic relationship with one of the Potter twins. If it had been Holden that the other girl was involved with she would have known. Holden told her almost everything. That would mean that the girl was with Harry. She just hoped that it wasn’t the worst-case scenario where whatever relationship there was between Harry and Greengrass was serious. Because if the relationship wasn’t serious, it would leave room for her to weasel her way in there. She didn’t bother to knock on the library door. She didn’t like what she had walked in on. 

She walked in on Harry and Greengrass intertwined in a passionate kiss. Greengrass had her hand in Harry’s hair and was pulling him closer to her. The action elicited a deep groan from the Ravenclaw as he moved to her neck. Greengrass finally noticed Hermione’s presence when she turned her head in the other girl’s direction. A mischievous smirk formed on the blonde’s pretty face as she looked her rival in the eyes. It was clear to Hermione that Greengrass knew of her crush on the older Potter twin and wanted to establish her dominance. Hermione couldn’t look away as the other girl’s expression contorted with pleasure, her neck arched, and she gave a soft moan. The Slytherin whispered in her lover’s ear and he looked up with shock. 

“Merlin, Granger!” He exclaimed. “What do you want?” He was clearly irritated. By the way he didn’t move he was clearly sporting an erection, but she couldn’t tell the size from his position between Greengrass’ legs. The blonde still had a smirk on her face. Hermione was holding back tears. 

“Your mother wants you. She said you two got mail.” 

“Alright. Tell her we’ll be there in a few.” He said. 

Hermione nodded and quickly turned in the other direction. She gave the message to Mrs. Potter and sat down next to Euphemia. She tried to be as inconspicuous as she furiously wiped a tear from her face. Ron sat up and looked at her. He was about to ask her what was wrong but she shook her head. 

Ron was confused. Hermione usually wasn’t this sensitive. He didn’t understand why she was crying. He also didn’t understand why neither of the Potter siblings were saying anything. He was about to say something when someone else walked into the room. Ron didn’t know her name, but he recognized her as a Slytherin in their year. 

“Daphne dear, you have mail.” Mrs. Potter addressed the girl not looking up from her tea while handing her a catalog and an envelope. When she did she noticed that her son had not come with her. “Where is Harry?” 

“He had to go to the loo. He’ll be here in a moment.” A sickly-sweet smile formed on the girl’s face as her eyes drifted to Hermione. Ron could sense something was happening but didn’t quite know what it was. He began to understand what it was when the eldest Potter sibling walked into the area. He was adjusting the top of his pajama pants. He strutted over to where his mother was and grabbed a letter from her extended hand while putting his other hand on the small of the Slytherin girl’s back. 

Ron wasn’t the most intelligent wizard, but he knew enough to be able to piece together what had happened and he clenched his jaw. He had trouble understanding why girls were obsessed with his best friend’s twin. It would be one thing if Harry were the Chosen One, but he wasn’t. Holden was. It should be Holden who has girls going mad over him. While Holden had his fair share of female admirers, it was nowhere near how many his brother had. Perhaps Ron wouldn’t have minded so much if other girls he had been interested in in the past, including Hermione who he was currently interested in, hadn’t thought Harry Potter was absolutely dreamy. Even his little sister Ginny, who was Holden’s number one admirer, thought that the other Potter twin was incredibly attractive. It annoyed Ron to no limit. 

Lily handed Harry an envelope. He opened the seal and read it over. He smiled and put it in his jumper. 

“Did you get head boy?” Euphemia asked smiling at her brother and the Slytherin girl next to him. 

“Yes. Although I am surprised, I thought that Professor Dumbledore would have chosen a Gryffindor.” The Slytherin girl must have forgotten whatever had Hermione so upset because she smiled adoringly up at the Ravenclaw boy.

“Of course, who else would he give it to? You have the top marks in our class.” She said to Harry.

“Plus there is no one smart or responsible enough in Gryffindor he could choose,” Euphemia added. Holden smirked but to Ron it sounded like an insult. 

“What I want to know,” Ron started changing the subject, “is what a slimy snake is doing here.” The girl glared at Ron. She was about to say something but Harry beat her to it. 

“My girlfriend is allowed here. She’s a part of this family now, and unlike you, Weasel, she hasn’t overstayed her welcome.” Harry said glaring at the red-head. Hermione shrunk at his comment. Her worst-case scenario was realized; the relationship between Harry and Greengrass was as serious as she feared.

“Really, Potter? A Slytherin is the best you could do?”  
“Really Weasley? A rejection from your soon to be sister-in-law is the best you could do?” Harry retorted with stinging wit. James Potter began to laugh uncontrollably; his laughter was to the point where he couldn’t take another sip of his tea. Euphemia looked at her father and gave a silent chuckle. They remember the letter that Holden sent home where he described Ron’s failed efforts at asking Fleur Delacour to the Yule Ball their fourth year. Ron began to draw his wand. Seemingly out of nowhere, Harry’s wand was instantly in his hand. “Ah yes, I forgot. There are some Gryffindors within our batch that lack the intelligence to fight their battles without their wand. In the real world you won’t be able to hex everyone that you quarrel with, Weasel.” Ron put his wand away. Harry’ shoulders squared confidently as he put his wand away. He began to walk away. The girl followed as she grabbed her boyfriend’s hand. 

“Ravenclaws, too weak to stay and fight; they just fly away.” Ron blurted out. Harry stopped and turned around with a smirk on his face.

“Ronald, lions are supposed to be tactful and not hopelessly fumbling over insults. You should really work on that.” 

They were quite a bit away from the dining area that they had come from, headed towards the library when Daphne stopped in front of the stairs while still holding his hand. He looked back at her to see her looking up the stairs. 

“Is something wrong love?” He asked concern showing on his face. 

“No, but we were so rudely interrupted before. And seeing how easily you took down Weasley and the confidence you did it with was very sexy.” She said looking towards their feet. As she looked up at him he stepped closer to her. She felt her heartbeat speed up as he lifted her chin up between his thumb and pointer finger. He pulled his own face towards her and their lips were near millimeters apart. She looked into his brilliant green eyes and noted how dilated his pupils were. 

“Yeah?” He asked. She closed her eyes as a shiver ran down her spine at how husky his voice was. She loved it when his voice got deeper. It was a major turn-on for her. Her boyfriend was sexy, there was no denying it. He knew how to tighten her strings like he was tuning a guitar. 

“Yeah, I thought that it was really hot.” She said as he placed a kiss right behind her ear. He let go of her hand and let his drift to her waist. He pulled her body closer to his. She could feel his reaction pressed hard between them. She felt a tightness grow in her lower body. 

“Don’t think I didn’t see that stunt you pulled on Granger earlier. You were so possessive. What a jealous little witch.” He playfully admonished her. He bit her neck. Goosebumps rose from her skin as she let out a quiet and weak whimper. She felt a puddle begin to form in her knickers. She loved it when he worked her up like this. 

“Harry!” she wined. “Quit torturing me.” He gave a deep chuckle and let her go. He pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. He broke it off suddenly. She grew frustrated at being denied his lips. 

“Go upstairs and lay on our bed.” He whispered in her ear. “I’ll be right behind you.” Another shiver ran down her spine. He didn’t need to tell her twice. She rushed up the stairs and into their room. She stripped down to her bra and knickers and laid down on the bed. Unable to handle the suspense any longer she dipped her right hand into her knickers. She closed her eyes as she ran her middle finger through the wetness that had formed there. Her finger circled around the hard bundle of nerves. Her neck arched as her eyes shut tighter and she bit her plush bottom lip. 

Her eyes flew open as she heard the door shut. Harry cast a silencing charm on the room and turned around to her. His eyes darkened as he looked to where her hands were. A predatory smirk appeared on his lips.

“Getting started without me I see.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have smut. And just a warning, it will be the first one that I write so please be kind.


	5. Intimacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse of intimacy between Harry and Daphne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please do not read if you are under the age of 18!! Smut ahead!

He stood at the door and stared at the hand that was shoved into her knickers. Through the thin fabric he could see where two of her fingers were plunged into her womanhood and one was circling on that sweet bundle of nerves. He could tell by the motion that the two fingers that were inside of her that she was making a “come hither” movement. 

“Take them off.” He commanded his voice growing husky from his arousal. He could see her shiver with desire. He smirked as he knew that she loved it when his voice deepened. Her hand moved out from her knickers and joined her other hand at her hips. She slowly slid them down her legs. She kicked them off of her feet and returned her hand to her pussy. He locked the door and walked to the end of the bed. 

It was when she moaned out his name particularly loud that he joined her on the bed, still fully clothed. He slotted his leg between hers and kissed her plump lips. When he broke their kiss apart he grabbed her wrist. He brought her hand to his mouth and the two fingers she had used to finger herself into his mouth. He relished the sweet tanginess that was her. He then dove to her neck. 

He loved her neck. He was embarrassed to admit it was one of his favorite parts of her body. Her neck was long, pale, and elegant, and he loved the way the perfume that she always wore tasted on her smelled on her sweet neck. It wasn’t a heavy floral scent like other girls in their batch wore, it was a sweeter smell. He could feel a moan come out her throat as he sucked a love bite at the base of her neck. Another thing that he loved about her neck was how sensitive it was. Girls that he had been with before Daphne had not cared when he bites, kissed, or sucked on their throats; but not Daphne. She loved having her neck played with and he was more than happy to oblige her. 

She pulled the hair at the nape of his neck as he pulled the hooks of her bra. When the hooks came undone he threw the contraption over his shoulder, not really caring where it landed. How could he when the most beautiful pair of breasts were exposed before him? They were not overly large, but they weren’t by any means small. They fit perfectly in his large hands. The mounds were topped by rosy pink nipples. He grabbed one of them roughly as he continued to suck on her neck. Her back arched and she further pushed in into his hand. He smiled against her neck as he pinched one of her nipples.

He broke apart from her neck to take off his jumper. He kissed along her breasts and stomach as he moved down her body. She opened her legs, and presented her pussy before him. It was beautiful. She kept her womanhood bare, not that he would care if she had hair there or not. He licked a long stripe along her opening before giving a hard suck on her clit. She arched her back as she moaned out.

She sat up and began you untie the drawstring on his pajama pants. He went back to kissing her as they both pushed down his pants. He wasn’t wearing underwear. She reached her hand down and grasped the length of his cock gently.

“You’re so hard for me darling” she stated as she smirked against his lips. He moaned as she stroked him softly. 

“How could I not be with the fantastic performance you’ve put on for me today? You’ve been teasing me all day long sweetheart.” He responded. She laid down on the bed and pulled him down on top of her as he positioned himself between her thighs. They began to kiss once again. He broke the kiss and rested his head on her shoulder. He then took his cock into his hand and positioned the tip at her opening. She kissed the side of his face as he pushed forward.

“Harryy!” She moaned out when he was fully in. She loved it every time he entered her. His cock was large enough to stretch her to her limits, but not so big as to injure her. His tip also curved in a way that was always able to stroke that part of her pussy that her fingers had never been able to reach. She wrapped her legs around his hips and her nails scored his back. 

He kissed her neck as he thrust into her. He was also whispering something in her ear but she didn’t know what he was saying as the intensity of the feelings he was creating in her were blissfully overwhelming. While he wasn’t thrusting into her with great speed, he was thrusting into her with hard, well-aimed strokes. His tip was hitting her g-spot with each thrust and the V of his lower abs was rubbing against her clit. Her nails dug deeper into his back and closed her eyes relishing in the feeling of him. 

While he always thought that she was beautiful, she was most beautiful in the throes of ecstasy. He kissed her neck as her nails scored his back hard. He groaned. He knew that he was probably bleeding, but quite frankly he didn’t care. He could tell that she was almost there. Her sweet pussy quivered around his length. Her eyes rolled back into her head and her back arched as her orgasm took over her. 

“HARRRY!” She screamed. Her nails dug into his back as he sped up. He buried his face in her neck as he felt himself get closer to his own climax. His thrusts became faster and less controlled. 

Daphne felt the coil build in her belly tighten once again. She pulled him closer to her as another orgasm took over her body. As she was thrown into ecstasy he followed her. He stilled as he spilled his seed inside of her. When it ended, he kissed her blonde hair. She combed her fingers through his sweaty black hair. She grabbed his face and sweetly kissed him. When their kiss broke he lifted himself onto his elbows and stared into her beautiful blue eyes. 

“I love you.” He said, with a special tenderness in his voice. She brought her hand up to his face as stroked his cheek with her thumb. He closed his eyes and leaned into her touch. He turned his head to kiss her palm. 

“I love you too.” 

“Do you want me to bring up a quick snack? I don’t know about you but I’m quite hungry.” She laughed. She nodded. He smiled and kissed her forehead as he got out of the bed. Harry grabbed the pants that had been thrown off of the bed and put them on. 

He hadn’t thought of putting on a shirt. It wasn’t that he forgot the scratches that Daphne left on his back, but rather he thought that no one would be in the kitchen or dining area. He thought that Holden and his friends would either be outside or have gone back to the burrow. He also thought that Euphemia would be with their mother in her workshop and his father would be in his office working managing the estate. 

He hadn’t expected his father to be sitting at the kitchen table with his uncle Sirius, and his godfather Remus. He silently cursed himself for not thinking of putting his jumper on. He tried to play it cool as she grabbed a couple of the leftover sandwiches his mother had made for lunch. He was about to sneak out of the kitchen when he heard his father call him. Harry cursed every higher power he could think of. He walked up to the three older wizards, trying his hardest not to turn his back to them. 

His father had asked him about how he had organized the library. Harry quickly explained his logic to his father and detailed why he thought that that system was the most efficient. He explained the muggle use of a number system to categorize books based on their discipline and subject. He also mentioned the guide to the system and the cards meant to represent every book in the Potter collection that he put in the library. His father nodded and dismissed him. Harry was relieved until he turned away from the group. It was at this moment that he forgot about the scratches on his back. 

“Harry” Sirius called and Harry turned around. “Did you get attacked by a hippogriff?” Harry realized his mistake

“No, why do you ask?” Harry asked coyly. 

“Well, my boy your back looks like you’ve been attacked by a wild animal.” His uncle wore a wry smile as he made the comment. 

“I’m not quite sure what you’re talking about Uncle Sirius.” Before Harry could respond another voice called out to him. A sense of dread filled Harry. He knew that the teasing would never end for him as soon as the two other marauders found out about his relationship. 

“Harry, are you coming back up?” Daphne’s soft lilted voice came from behind him. He looked over his shoulder and there she was, as beautiful as ever. She was wearing his jumper and a pair of shorts. The jumper was so large on her that the shorts were barely visible underneath it. Her legs looked ridiculously long. Her blonde hair was messy in a manner that suggested to the older men what they had been up to prior to their coming downstairs. Her pale skin was beautifully flushed from the exertion. Harry handed her one of the sandwiches he was holding. She walked over and gently took the sandwich from his hand. 

“Hello Miss Greengrass.” Remus greeted. “I didn’t know that you and Harry were well acquainted.”

“We’re quite well acquainted, I would say.” She said as a devilish smirk appeared on her face. She moved next to her boyfriend and wrapped one of her arms around his waist. 

“Harry,” Sirius started. “Care to introduce me to this lovely young lady?” An equally devilish smirk appeared on his face. Dread grew in Harry. 

“Uncle Sirius, this is my girlfriend, Daphne Greengrass.” He gestured toward Daphne, who gave a small wave. “Daphne, this is my uncle, Sirius Black.” 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Miss Greengrass,” Sirius said, tipping his head to the young Slytherin. “Do you happen to be of relation to Gaius Greengrass?” Daphne stiffened so slightly that only Harry could notice. 

“Yes. He is my father.” She said, feigning the same playful energy that she had earlier. 

“No offense my dear, but he is quite a dreadful man.” Harry felt Daphne loosen once more as she laughed.

“None taken, especially since I am most inclined to agree.” Daphne kissed Harry’s cheek and proceeded upstairs. Sirius was about to make another sly comment about Harry’s scratches when Lily walked into the room behind her son. Harry didn’t need to turn around to know that his mother’s eyes comically popped out of their sockets at the sight of her son’s bloodied back. 

“For Merlin’s sake Harry! What happened to your back?” She said as cast a healing spell on her son. Harry felt a cool sensation hit him in the back. He didn’t know what to say. Sirius broke out laughing and a smirk formed on Remus’ face. How could he explain to his mother that his girlfriend had given him the deep scratches as a reward for rocking her world in bed? He didn’t think that there were words to explain such a thing to one’s mother. Unfortunately for Harry, his father beat him to the point.

“Isn’t it obvious Lily?” James asked with a mischievous grin on his face. She turned towards her husband. “He got them as a reward for a job well done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if the sex scene is awkward. It is my first time writing one!


	6. Staking Claims

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this update took me so long. I'm taking a summer class right now and I have work for my grad program right now

The next day Holden and his friends decided to have another day out in the sun. All of the young people in the Potter house wanted to enjoy the last days of summer as their school year quickly approached. Holden and Ron decided to fly around on their brooms while Hermione decided to read in the sun. Like the day before Euphemia was sunbathing next to her.

The presence that was unwelcome to Hermione was the Slytherin girl who was sunbathing next to Euphemia. Her being there both rubbed Hermione the wrong way and confirmed to her where her priorities needed to be. Perhaps she should be solely focused on her schoolwork or pursue other romantic options. She knew that Ron was interested in her, but she wasn’t sure if she reciprocated his feelings. Sure; he was handsome, but he had atrocious table manners and little ambition. She was sure that if he applied himself to more than just quidditch then he would probably have significantly better grades. She wanted someone who would challenge her while not being smarter than her. She should have known that deep down that would be the reason why she and Harry wouldn’t work. He was a combination of intelligence and natural talent. He was able to approach magic more creatively than anyone she has ever met. She had a feeling that if they were to ever have been in a relationship then jealousy for the wizard would absorb and ruin them. She hates to admit it but perhaps the ambitious Slytherin girl is perfect for the talented and powerful Ravenclaw.

Daphne Greengrass had a reputation. She was known for being incredibly curt and icy to just about everyone; she wasn’t called the Ice Queen of Slytherin for nothing. Yet Greengrass also had a reputation for being glamorous. She remembers hearing about how girls in other houses would try to recreate the outfits she wore to Hogsmeade or the accessories she would wear with her school robes. Hermione recalls that last year black hair ribbons became the most popular accessory at Hogwarts after Daphne Greengrass began wearing them. And even Hermione can see how beautiful the other girl is especially now as Daphne lying on her stomach next to Euphemia in a dark blue bikini. The girl had a beautiful body that made Hermione jealous. Her hair also fell into long elegant waves and it was a beautiful pale blond. Hermione didn’t fail to notice the small purple bruises that lined the girl’s neck and ones that were shaped like fingertips on her hips. She didn’t know if the other girl noticed or not but it made Hermione cringe inside.

Euphemia looked at her Slytherin companion and studied her. She could see why her brother chose the girl. If anything, she thought that Daphne was too pretty for her brother. But she could tell that Daphne loved him and her brother deserved that. She carefully eyed the bruises on the other girl as the Slytherin laid on her stomach with her eyes closed.

“Daphne?” Euphemia began trying to get her brother’s girlfriend’s attention. Daphne opened one of her eyes to look at the red-haired girl. “Do those bruises hurt?” Daphne smiled at the younger girl.

“Mhmm yes.” She said as she closed her eyes and hummed wistfully. “Blissfully so.”

“So, you’re okay with a guy manhandling you?” Hermione asked with a sneer. Euphemia looked over at the other Gryffindor with a confused look. Euphemia didn’t understand her housemate’s hostility.

“I wouldn’t call it manhandling,” Daphne said with her eyes still closed. She couldn’t help the smirk that formed across her lips. She enjoyed riling Hermione Granger up. And while Daphne was sure that Hermione could hold herself in a fight but Daphne was a good Slytherin. She always had a plan.

“Then what would you call it?” Hermione said, her voice indignant. The smirk on Daphne’s face grew wider as she adjusted her head under her bent arms.

“I would call it passionate or losing oneself in the moment but not manhandling. Plus, Granger, I’m not the only one who’s been marked. He likes it when my nails score his back. Your mother looked horrified by his bloodied back yesterday.” Daphne wanted to laugh as she imagined the look of horror on the uptight face of Hermione Granger. It wasn’t that she got pleasure from getting under the Gryffindor girl’s skin but she got pleasure from getting under the Gryffindor girl’s skin.

“Oy!” Euphemia said putting her hands up in surrender. “That’s my brother you two are talking about. I’d rather not hear about his sexual escapades.” Daphne chuckled at that.

“You’re right. I think Granger doesn’t want to talk about it either.” Daphne said as she turned over onto her back. She lifted herself onto her forearms and let her head fall back. She enjoyed the freedom she got at the Potters’. She enjoyed the freedom to bask in the sunlight. If she had been at her parents’ house her mother would have boxed her ears for going outside in such a dress, but Harry’s family didn’t care. She remembers the fight Harry had told her about between Lily and Molly Weasley. The Weasley matriarch confronted Lily about a bikini Euphemia had worn while sunbathing. She said that she was worried that Ron would be tempted by the body of such a pretty girl. Harry told her that his mum had told Molly to “buzz off”.

She admired her boyfriend’s mother. The woman truly was a force to be reckoned with. Lily Potter had a kind heart and an intelligent mind, all the while being fierce in love. Whether it was the devotion she had towards her husband or the protectiveness she showed for her children, the Potter matriarch was the kind of woman that Daphne wanted to grow to be. Daphne herself grew up with a cold mother who didn’t care for her eldest daughter’s well-being. Yet she had just met Lily and James Potter and they already accepted her as their future daughter-in-law and a part of their family.

She felt a familiar presence calling out to her magic. She smiled as the presence filled her with warmth. She opened her eyes and was greeted by the most brilliant pair of bottle-green eyes were behind glasses and staring into her blue eyes. She smiled and moved to give him a peck on the lips. She made room for him in the lawn chair she was lounging on. He laid down with his legs slightly parted. She laid down next to him and cuddled into his chest. She slid her right leg between his open ones. He rested his head on one of his bent arms and the other pulled her closer to him. She was pleased that he had changed from the Hogwarts uniform he had been wearing when he left that morning into a pair of dark green bathing shorts as it gave her to the opportunity to run her fingers softly along his bare chest. She looked up at him and noticed how relaxed he looked as he enjoyed the feeling of the sun on his skin with his eyes closed. She smiled and closed her eyes as well.

The four of them sat there in blissful silence. She was tracing circles into his chest mindlessly when Holden and Ron came down from their brooms and began to approach where they were all sitting. She internally groaned. While she didn’t mind the Boy Who Lived, wherever he went Ron Weasley followed. She was sure that the youngest Weasley brother had a few good qualities, his older brothers were all very talented wizards in their own right, but she found it quite irksome how often he would try and start petty and stupid fights with her boyfriend. She knew that his crush on Hermione and her subsequent crush on Harry didn’t help with that either as it caused the red-headed Gryffindor to be motivated by his jealousy for the arguably superior wizard.

“How was your meeting?” Holden asked his brother. Daphne looked to her boyfriend whose eyes were still closed.

“Boring. Professor Dumbledore wanted to go over our duties as Head Boy and Girl while Professor McGonagall wanted to show us our new dorms. It was just a bunch of clerical stuff.” Daphne could feel a pair of eyes ogling her as Harry spoke. She looked to see Weasley’s eyes roaming her body. Her brows furrowed and she moved as close to Harry as she could. With his eyes still closed his arm moved from her shoulder to a position where he was now grabbing the leg she had draped over his and moved it higher on his body.

“Weasley, you would do better not to stare at my girlfriend. She isn’t a piece of meat.” Harry said with his eyes still closed.

“Then why is she out here in THAT if she didn’t want to be stared out.” He gestured to her as his face turned a shade of red similar to a lobster once it has been dropped in boiling water.

“Because the sun has finally decided to show in England.” Harry joked trying to keep the anger out of his voice. “Who wouldn’t want to enjoy this beautiful weather? Plus, I don’t hear you complaining about what I’m wearing and I’m arguably less dressed than her.”

“That’s different.”

“How is it different?” Harry had Weasley trapped right where he wanted him. There was no response that Ron could give where he would look good and he knew it. If he expressed that it was because Daphne was a woman, then Euphemia would be at his throat. Daphne smirked and leaned up to kiss Harry’s jaw.

“Can you tell us who the head girl is?” Euphemia asked changing the subject from what would surely become a nasty fight. Harry smiled, his eyes remaining closed.

“Guess.” He teased his sister. Her brows furrowed.

“Can I have a clue?”

“She’s in Hufflepuff.”

“Hannah?” She guessed trying to rack her mind for girls in Hufflepuff. He shook his head. “Megan? Morag? Leanne?” Each time she listed a name he shook his head.

“Susan,” Daphne answered, her chin now resting on Harry’s chest. He opened his eyes and smiled at her.

“Did you read my mind, love?” He asked staring into her gunmetal blue eyes. She playfully swatted his chest.

“You know that your Occulmency shields are too strong for my Legilimency skills.”

“Why did they choose Susan? While she is a brilliant witch, I don’t think she was at the top of your class.” Euphemia asked.

“Well, the though in the Board of Governors is that Professor Dumbledore shows too much favor towards Gryffindor house when it comes to choosing a Head Boy and Girl. They’ve received complaints from parents who claim that he shows preferential treatment towards Gryffindor because he was in Gryffindor once, so they made his alternate years. Since the Head Boy and Girl, last year were both in Gryffindor, they decided that they would be coming from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff this year, then next year it will be Slytherin and Gryffindor.”

“That seems reasonable enough. So, how did Professor Dumbledore decide?” She asked.

“He didn’t. Professor McGonagall asked Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout which of their students they thought would be the best for the position. Professor Flitwick suggested me for my discipline and Professor Sprout suggested Susan for her previous experience as a prefect. McGonagall agreed with their choices after looking at our records.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if they just chose the students with the highest grades, no matter what house?” Hermione asked an offended look on her face. She had wanted the Head Girl position. 

“Not quite. Firstly, grades don’t equate to leadership skills. Secondly, house favoritism could still be tolerated. That was about the system that they had in place but Professor Dumbledore still always chose from Gryffindor.” Harry countered.

“That seems a little unfair,” Ron said.

“How so? This method takes out all of the bias. It rotates between the houses and allows the heads of houses to choose the most apt students. If one head of house chooses their favorite student then the other heads of house can deny the decision and choose the student they feel is better equipped for the job.”

“I agree,” Holden said ending all discussion. “I’m glad you got it.” They all went inside to get ready for lunch.


	7. Plotting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Issues arise and shocking revelations are made.

He could tell she wanted to talk to him about something serious as soon as she came back into their bedroom. He could sense her anxiety. They had changed out of their swimwear and were casually dressed for lunch. He looked over to his desk and saw the letter that she had gotten in the mail the day before still unopened. He didn’t need to open it to know who it was from. He knew it was from her family. He picked it up and it felt heavy. He put it back on the desk and went to finish buttoning up his shirt when she walked into the room. She was wearing a white turtle neck that was tucked into a green plaid skirt and white knee-high stockings. She was putting pearl stud earrings on when she came into the room. She went to the boudoir his mother had bought for the room when she first moved in with them a couple of days before and grabbed tied her hair in her signature black hair ribbon. As she was doing this Harry tucked his shirt into his black slacks and put his belt through the loops. When he was finished, he grabbed the pearl necklace from the boudoir and put it on her. He then walked across the room and grabbed their shoes. He handed her the pair that she had chosen earlier and sat down on his ottoman to put his on. The pair had decided to get dressed in what they planned to wear for dinner tonight. His mother was having everybody over for a big dinner since they would all soon be heading back to Hogwarts in the coming days. When she was finished, she got up to where he was sitting and sat next to him. 

“Thank you my darling,” She said to him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek. He turned and kissed her forehead. She leaned her head on his shoulder and he looked down at her face. Her expression was sad and pensive. “My parents sent me something by owl. I don’t want to read it.”

“Do you think it’s a contract?” He asked her. She scoffed and got up from the ottoman angrily. He knew that it wasn’t him she was angry at. He had learned when they had started dating how resentful she was of her family. He knew her better than any other person, and as she did him. It is what makes their relationship different than any other relationship that either of them had been in before. While they had always been fascinated by each other they had both dated other people casually before they had gotten together. He didn’t know about how she felt, but he knew after their first date, after their first kiss, that she was it for him. He learned how to read her easier than a first-year learned how to read their potions textbook. She looked at him.

“I don’t have to open it to know that it is a contract. I just don’t want to see what vile man they want me to marry.” He thought for a moment. 

“Open it. If we know who it is then it will be easier to know what we’re up against. I have an idea but it involves the participation of my parents.” 

“But if I open it then I’ll have to sign it.”

“No, you won’t. They legally cannot make you marry against your will. They’ve already shown you that they no longer consider you their daughter, they’ve handed you over to my family. There is nothing they can legally do to make you marry whoever they put in the contract.” She seemed to ponder what he said for a moment and nodded. She went to the desk and picked up the envelope. She broke the wax seal and removed to contents. She picked up the first page and read it.

“It’s a note from my mother. She said that if I sign this contract, they will let me back in the family but my children and I will no longer be able to inherit their wealth as punishment for my impertinence.”

“So, they think you're desperate to join the family once again. There is nothing for you to gain.”

“Not to them. They’re arrogant. They think that their name has the social power that I would crave.”

“And they think that my family doesn’t have that?”

“It doesn’t in the circles that they run in. My father was never a Death Eater, but that doesn’t mean that doesn’t he socialize with them. The contract is probably for me to marry one of their sons.” She said as she set the letter aside and looked to the other papers that had been in the envelope. She didn’t even finish reading the first page when her hand flew to her mouth and she threw the papers back onto the desk. He got up in an instant and wrapped his arms around her. She turned around and began to cry into his chest. She screamed and most of his body absorbed the 

He looked over her shoulder. He read the name on the contract and he froze. He felt ice grow in his veins as he thought of the face behind that name. 

It was worse than he had feared.

There wasn’t a care in Holden’s mind as he and his friends were going up the stairs to hang out in his room. He and Ron were talking about Quidditch, more specifically about the new chaser the Chudley Cannons got. They had been talking about it during their lunch and they continued the conversation an hour after they finished the meal. Holden, Hermione, and Ron were opening the door to his room when his brother’s bedroom door opened. Daphne came out of the room with her head down. She turned her head towards them and bolted down the stairs as she furiously wiped her cheek. He was so surprised by the action that Holden failed to notice the stack of papers she held in her hands. Holden paused at the door and looked at his brother who had just closed the door. 

“Trouble in paradise already, Harry?” Ron joked with a cruel sneer on his face. The Ravenclaw glared at the red-headed boy causing him to recoil slightly.

“I’m in no mood to deal with you right now Weasley.” Harry turned to his twin. “Are Mum and Dad still downstairs?” 

“Yeah. Dad’s in the study and Mum is with Euphemia in her workshop.” Holden answered confused and slightly worried. Harry nodded and thanked his brother as he followed his girlfriend down the stairs. 

Daphne stood behind her boyfriend as he knocked on the door to his father’s study. James called for them to come in. Harry opened the door and let her in. James was sitting at his desk over some paperwork when they came in. He looked up at the two young people as Daphne sat down in one of the chairs he had at his desk. He grew worried when he looked at her face. The skin around her eyes was pink and slightly puffy. It looked as though she had been crying recently. 

“Is everything okay?” He asked. Daphne slightly smiled at the tone. The older man spoke with the tone of a concerned father rather than that of a cold lord as her father always had. She shook her head.

“Dad, we need to speak with you and Mum alone. It’s important.” James nodded. He sent the message with a blue wispy stag that made Daphne smile weakly. Moments later a similar blue doe came into the room with a message in response. 

“You and Lily have very beautiful patronuses.” She said quietly. 

“Thank you.” He said. After the word left his mouth the door opened again. Harry moved slightly to give his mother room to come in. She went to go stand by her husband, adopting an equally worried expression upon looking at the young people. James conjured a seat for her and she sat in it.

Once the door was closed Harry took his seat next to Daphne. He took the hand she had laid on her lap into his and softly stroked the back of it in a comforting manner. She moved her hand to where it was on top of his and squeezed it. 

“What is the matter?” Lily asked. 

“Can you tell them please my love?” Daphne asked Harry. He nodded and turned to his parents. 

“We need your help. Daphne’s parents want her back. They sent a letter demanding that she accept a marriage contract and they will let her back in the family. But she and her descendants will be punished for her actions by being ineligible to inherit. The contract basically strips her of any rights and demotes her to the status of a broodmare.” Lily gasped as her hands flew over her mouth. James gripped the pen he was holding so tightly that it might burst. Daphne felt out of her eyes as Harry explained the situation.

“Who did they promise her to?” James asked, clearly repulsed at the callousness shown to the girl in front of them. The idea that parents could be so mean and cruel to their daughter angered him to his core. 

“A Monster.” She spat out as she furiously wiped her cheeks.

“The contract is with Nott Senior.” A chill ran through the room. While it cannot be proven, even to this day, it was suspected within many circles in Wizarding Britain that he had killed his wife while his young son was watching. He had also been one of the Death Eaters that had been fortunate enough to escape imprisonment in Azkaban after the war. It was unthinkable that any parent who loved their young daughter would try to force her into a contract with the despicable wizard. 

“How could they do that?” Lily asked the horror clear on her face. 

“Legally they can’t. They forfeited all parental rights to her. It is clear in the note that they already disinherited her and will only welcome her back into the family if she obeys their demands.” Harry replied. 

“What do you too want to do? I could challenge your father to a duel.” James offered.

“No.” Harry said 

“Break into their house and murder them in their sleep.” Daphne answered darkly. James nodded, seemingly agreeing with her desired course of action. 

“No.” Harry interjected quickly and loudly. It was hard enough to be the only Ravenclaw in a house full of Gryffindors, but who would have thought that adding a Slytherin into the mix would have made it harder. “I have a plan, but for it to work we need your cooperation.” 

“What were you thinking?” Lily asked.

“Well we need to make Daphne a Potter. First, we need to burn the contract while keeping the note. If we burn the contract it is rejected permanently. All copies of it get destroyed and it cannot be rewritten. If we keep the note though it is proof that she is no longer under their control. Dad, I need for you to go through the inventory of the family vault and see if we have any engagement rings that Daphne can choose from. We will then need permission to go to Gringotts and retrieve the ring. We will need permission from one of you because we are both still students at Hogwarts and I am the heir. You or mother will then need to go with us to the ministry with the note and give us that permission.” Harry lined his plan out. Lily nodded. 

“And her parents?” Lily asked. 

“They can still retaliate, but there is nothing they could do legally. It puts us in the high ground, given Holden’s position in society and Dad’s in Wizengamot, anything they do against us would be social and political suicide.” He said. James nodded. 

“You have our support.” James said. “For now, I don’t want this conversation should not leave this room.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you all for your patience. Updates may be few and far between with this story but I will update every chance I get.


	8. Nerves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry's nerves go into overdrive as the annual Potter-Weasley dinner commences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience! I am still finishing up with my summer classes but I thought that this was past due! Please enjoy and I am always open to suggestions!

Harry stared at the barrels of ale in the Buttery as he put his weight on his hands which were place firmly on the wall. His mother had wanted him to grab some wine for the night’s festivities. It was a tradition that the Potter family participated in every year. While Harry had enjoyed the large dinner party his family had with the Weasleys, Remus, and Sirius, now it was incredibly stressful for him to be surrounded by that many Gryffindors. He had hoped when Remus married Nymphadora Tonks that the gatherings they all had would not be as consumed by the clamorous energy that came with being surrounded by lions, but much to his dismay she brought the same boisterous energy. While previous years the event brought him anxiety, he was even more anxious for this night to be over. His girlfriend was in Slytherin; and the group of Gryffindors that he called family, while he loved them, had a deep bias against those who were sorted into Slytherin house. He was ashamed to admit that he had surprised at how supportive his family had been of his relationship when he first introduced Daphne to them. 

The dinner was earlier than it had been in previous years. Last year they had the event the weekend before they had to return to Hogwarts rather than two weeks prior. Yet it was necessary to the circumstances of the year as Bill Weasley’s wedding to Fleur Delacour was the following week. Because of the upcoming nuptials, the couple had decided to forgo announcing their engagement. But Harry had picked out the ring with his mother. His father found out that the ring of his grandmother, the first Euphemia Potter, was still in the family vault. While it was a tradition among pureblood families to use an heirloom for an engagement ring, James had bought Lily a new ring. He had thought that it was a required muggle custom to buy a new ring. 

Harry was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt two arms wrap around him and ahead bury itself between his shoulder blades. He smiled as he took one of his hands on the wall to grab hers where they met. 

“I could hear you thinking from the dining room,” Daphne said. “You feel tense. What are you worrying about?” He gave a weak chuckle.

“I just can’t wait for tonight to be over.”

“Why?”

“We are about to be surrounded by lions.” He said as he put his had back up against the wall.

“They can’t be that bad,” She said as her hands lightly stroked his abs through his shirt. He closed his eyes tightly as he found himself failing to focus on the wines his mother had requested from their collection. He tried to hold back a moan when he felt her nails scrap his muscles through his shirt. 

“And it isn’t when it is just my family but the Weasleys add a certain level of brashness to the noise that can just be grating. Plus, I don’t know how they will respond to you.” Her hands began to move lower and it became more and more difficult for him to concentrate on finding the wine. 

“Quite frankly I don’t care to have their approval. We have your family’s approval and that is all we need.” She said as she began to undo his belt.

“Daphne, not now.”

“Let me ease your tension, my love. I know you’ll pay me back later.”

“If someone catches us...” He tried to feebly argue with her. She finished with his belt and began to undo his zipper as well.

“When I said I could feel your tension love I wasn’t lying. I had cast a silencing spell before I came down here. And your mother said they aren’t supposed to be here for another hour.” She moved from her position behind him to go in front of him where his arms were propped against the wall and kissed him. He responded to her kiss eagerly his logical side losing out. She took him out of his pants and stroked his hardening member. 

He let out a moan against her lips that had her smiling against his. He parted from the kiss and put his head on her shoulder. From this position, he got a good view of her small lithe hand stroking all him. He felt his eyes widen as her beautiful blue eyes stared into his brilliant green ones as she knelt on the ground and took him into her mouth. His eyes closed as the warmth of her mouth enveloped him. He let out a groan as one of his hands went to stroke her hair and moved it from her face. 

She started with the head and let her tongue roll around his glands. He let out a particularly loud groan when she sucked on his tip. She took more of him in her mouth. She gently and slowly took him into her mouth until she could not take any more of him. She sucked and used her hand to stroke what she could not fit in her mouth. 

It was gentle and sweet. She knew how to give him pleasure. They learned how to give each other pleasure together. While they had both dated other people casually before they got together physical and emotional intimacy was the boundary that they crossed together. She took him out of her mouth and licked the entire length of him before taking it back in. She hollowed sucked on it like it was the sweetest lolly she had ever had. He let out a groan that made her want to suck on him harder. 

She could tell that he was close. She could see it in the way that his eyes tightened and the grip that he now had in her hair grew harder. 

“Where do you want it?” He asked her. She thought that he should have known by now where she would want him to finish, but she thought it was very considerate that he still asked her. She answered him by giving a particularly hard suck she knew would send him over the edge. She looked up at him right when he hit ecstasy. His face beautifully contorted with pleasure as he unloaded into her awaiting mouth. She waited for him to be finished before she took him out of her mouth. 

She got up and swallowed as put himself back into his boxers. He was fastening his belt when she brushed her knees off and wiped the side of her mouth. Despite what she had just been doing he kissed her. She loved how comfortable they had become with each other. 

“I love you.” He said when they parted. He stroked her hair to 

“I love you too.” She said as she patted his cheek and lightly pecked his lips. She slid away from his and went back to help his mother prepare. When she left, he was able to better focus on the wine, grabbing the Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot that paired well with the beef and the Port that went well with the chocolate cake they were having with dessert. When he went back up to the kitchen to put the wine under a cooling spell, his father, Sirius and Remus were at the kitchen table talking. He was trying not to tense up or be too obvious about what had gone down in the Buttery. He knew that if he acted in a way that gave them any indication, he would be teased. He looked down to make sure that his pants fine and noticed that he forgot to zip them back up. He knew his father was approaching him, so he went to zip it quickly. 

He had just finished with his pants when his father came up and clapped him on the shoulder. James grabbed one of the bottles and studied the label. 

“Your Mum picked some good vintages,” James commented. Harry nodded. “It is a surprise that it took two of you to find them. I thought that your Mum would have had them near each other.” James smirked at his son knowingly. Harry he silently cursed his fiancée. She had seemed to take a particular pleasure out of getting him in situations where he would be caught after their sexual encounters. His father patted his back again and went back towards his friends. 

The dinner was as rowdy as Harry thought it would be. The food was delicious, but it was difficult for him to concentrate on the meal. All nine of the Weasleys came as well as the Delacour family. Harry had been getting teased all night, by both the older Weasley siblings and his fiancée. While Charlie, Fred, and George kept wagging their eyebrows at him, Daphne’s teasing was worse. She had her hand on his thigh and it kept inching up as the meal progressed. Each time he looked over at her there was no indication on her face as to what she was up to. As well Sirius and Remus were both giving him odd looks. It didn’t help that Sirius had come up to him before the meal began to tell Harry how proud he was of him for having such an attractive girlfriend. When Remus had heard that comment he teased Sirius saying that he had the cooler godson, which started a small playful tiff between the two. He was at least lucky enough that they were with his parents and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley at the other end of the long table. 

Harry was trying his hardest to focus on his conversation with Bill Weasley about his work as a curse breaker at Gringotts. It had been something that Harry had been interested in when he was a child, but Harry found that once he started learning about a variety of aspects of magic, that he never wanted to stop learning. He had a curiosity that could never truly be sated. He was truly broken when Molly loudly scolded Ron for talking about how eighteen centimeters was a lot bigger than it sounded. It was at this moment that Daphne turned towards him and Harry saw the mischievous grin break out across his fiancée’s lips. It was this moment he knew he was about to be in trouble and that he would never be able to live this might down. 

“My love, I thought you told me that twenty-six centimeters was average?” She whispered into his ear and squeezed him through his pants as he took a sip of his Cabernet. He nearly choked on his wine and began coughing. He thanked all of his lucky stars that she hadn’t made the comment out loud as it would have riled up the Gryffindors. He excused himself from the table and went out to the veranda for some fresh air. 

He should have known that tonight wasn’t going to be any different from the previous years they had had the tradition. He should have known that his fiancée wouldn’t quietly eat and commiserate with him. He always found that however much Slytherins pretended to hate Gryffindors that they always seemed to get joy and amusement in riling them up. Daphne Greengrass was no exception. 

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the pack of cigarettes he bought the day before. This was his little secret. No one in his family, not even Daphne, knew about his habit. He brought his wand up to the end of it and lit it. It was a habit that he developed within the past year. While the Gryffindor common rooms held wild parties, older Ravenclaws would often have late-night philosophical debates and smoke. He eventually began to use to calm himself down with the stress of academics got too much for him. He tried not to engage in the habit when he was home as he didn’t want to have to deal with his mother’s temper if she caught him, but at that moment he needed it. He inhaled the smoke and closed his eyes as the familiar burn crept in the back of his throat. That was perhaps his favorite part. 

“HARRY JAMES POTTER” He heard a familiar voice rang through the veranda.

Ah shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For my fellow Americans, I chose to use centimeters instead of inched because they're in the UK, where they use the metric system instead of the imperial system. 
> 
> 18 cm ≈ 7in  
> 26 cm ≈ 10 in


	9. Conversations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the night progresses, conversations are had and little things are discovered

“HARRY JAMES POTTER!” A familiar voice rang through the veranda.

Ah shit. Harry thought. He looked behind him and he sighed in relief. 

“I’m glad you aren’t mum. Or dad even.” Harry said as he threw the pack of cigarettes to his godfather. Remus gave his godson a wry smile as he caught the pack. He stood next to Harry as he smacked the pack against his hand and grabbed a cigarette. Harry took another puff as his godfather lit his own. He knew that he smoked like Remus. Growing up he had often smelled cigarette smoke on his godfather, especially before the full moon, as his godfather often lost his appetite the closer it was to the full moon. Remus had also been known in his Hogwarts days to chain smoke when he was stressed about assignments. Furthermore, Harry knew that Remus smoked to deal with the symptoms of his lycanthropy. 

“James doesn’t have the right to chastise you for smoking as I recall he only stopped smoking when he and Lily got together, and he only did so because she hated it so much. Should I anticipate Lily and James blaming me for your indulging in this habit?” Remus asked as he took a puff of his cigarette. Harry smirked at his godfather. He knew that his godfather was just as afraid of his mother as he was. Harry took a puff and exhaled away from the other man.

“They might, but I would tell them that that isn’t the case. I’m a Ravenclaw and Ravenclaws are just moody nihilists who smoke while debating our existence. But I’ll only have to explain that to them if I get caught.” Harry looked to his godfather. Remus put his hands up defensively.

“They won’t hear of it from me, though they will find out somehow, probably when you come back in the house smelling like cigarette smoke. James would know the smell from anywhere.” Remus brought his cigarette up to his mouth and took another puff. “And your girlfriend? Does she know?”

“No, but I don’t think it will take her long to figure it out on her own. She did mention to me after we started dating and had during her classes’ amortentia lesson that she smelled sandalwood, old books, and cigarette smoke.” Harry said as a smile broke out on his face. He remembered how he had tried to hold back that same smile when she told him such. Harry himself had noted that the amortentia had had a floral scent, which he has now identified as being the orris and jasmine in her perfume, and strawberries. Remus smiled at his godson.

“So, she makes you happy?” Harry smiled as he looked at his feet. 

“More than I can say.”

Daphne looked to where her future brother-in-law was sitting alone in the larger more formal living area that Lily used to entertain guests. He was staring at the Weasley girl who was sitting and chatting with Granger and Euphemia. 

“You know, if you asked the Weasley girl out, she would probably say yes.” She said as she sat down next to Holden.

“She’s dating Dean Thomas.” He said sounding slightly dejected. It didn’t surprise Daphne that Harry’s twin had issues with the ladies. While Holden had been every girl’s childhood crush their first year, girls started to lose their interest in the young Gryffindor when the story of his botched Yule Ball date with Parvati Patil. 

“Are you sure? She keeps looking at you.” 

“I’m positive.”

“Hmm,” she hummed. Holden looked at his future sister-in-law as she seemed to be contemplating what he had just told her while staring at Ginny and Euphemia. “It’s odd, isn’t it?”

“What?” He asked, confused. 

“Looking at the two of them from here it is difficult to tell which is the Weasley girl and which is your sister.” She said with a slight giggle to her melodic voice. He looked to where she was looking at and he had to agree. “It would probably be odd to date someone who looks so much like your sister.” Holden thought for a few moments and began to laugh.

“I guess you’re right.” He said.

“I usually am” she stated as a cheeky smile formed on her lips. It was silent for a moment.

“Then who do you suggest I date?”

“I don’t know. I would have said Granger, but it would be weird as she is probably still interested in your brother.” She seemed to ponder on the question. “I know some of the girls in Hufflepuff. I recall Hannah Abbot or Megan Jones both being quite pretty.”

“They’re both pretty quiet, aren’t they? Maybe too quiet.” He askes with an eyebrow raised.

“Maybe you need quiet. Someone who the Daily Prophet won’t suspect or who won’t date you for the press attention.” 

“You think Ginny would seek press attention?”

“I don’t think she would go out of her way to seek it, but I do think that she would naturally attract it. I don’t know her very well, but she seems to be a very vivacious and lively girl. She has a natural aura to her that one can’t help but to pay attention to that Granger doesn’t quite have. Though I would say it is another quality your sister shares with the Weasley girl. Am I right?”

“I guess you are.” He thought about her words for a few moments. “What do you have against Hermione? Do you not like muggle-borns?”

“Merlin, no! Where did you get such an idea?” She looked offended by his question. “Granger being muggle-born isn’t why I don’t like her. I don’t like Granger because of how she stares at my boyfriend.”

“Well, I thought since your parents are pureblood supremacists…”

“That doesn’t mean I am. I might have been when I was younger but that was because I had never met a muggle-born witch or wizard until I went to Hogwarts. Over the years I have come to resent the idea that a witch of such poor ability, as my mother, is more deserving of magic than a witch as remarkable as your mother because one is pureblooded and the other is muggle-born.” 

“You think my mother is remarkable?”

“Yes, I do. Lily Potter is the most remarkable witch I have ever met, and I’ve met almost every witch in Britain’s pureblood society. No one I have ever met, not even Professor Snape, is as good at brewing potions as your mother is. As well, not witch I have ever met is as talented at defensive spells and runes as your mother.” 

“I can see what my brother sees in you. But my question is what do you see in my brother?”

“Your brother is quite handsome. Harry is brilliant but modest. He’s also talented and warm. I was also intrigued that there was more to him than meets to surface. Boys who I grew up knowing and other boys at Hogwarts are easy to understand, but your brother is complicated.”

“In what sense?”

“In the sense that there are new things that I learn about him every day.” She looked down as a small affectionate smile graced her plump lips. “You have lived with him for most of your life, yet there are still things that you don’t know about him or have never noticed about him. You probably think of him as little more than a bookworm who would rather spend the entire summer in the family library rather than play quidditch with you and Weasley. Your mother and father think of him as their pensive Ravenclaw of a son and your sister thinks of him as her favorite quiet brother, yet none of you truly understand him.”

“So, you fell in love with him because he’s complicated?” He was sorely confused.

“No, I became interested in him because he was complicated. Over our relationship, I learned more and more about him. And the more that I learned about him, the more I fell in love with him. As well, he’s the only boy I ever dated who saw all of my flaws and loved me because of them.” And as if on cue, she looked at the archway as Harry and Remus entered the room. Holden saw the look on her face when Harry entered the room and was instantly jealous. Not because he wanted the young witch for himself, but rather he was jealous that someone looked at his twin, who he considered to be unremarkable in matters that he found important, with the amount of sheer adoration as Daphne Greengrass did. 

Daphne got up from her seat next to Holden and walked to Harry as quickly as she could without being overly suspicious. While she enjoyed her conversation with her future brother-in-law and she had briefly conversed with Bill and Fleur, she didn’t enjoy being the only Slytherin surrounded by Gryffindors. She felt as though some in the room looked at her as though they thought she would sell them to Death Eaters at the drop of a hat. She could understand why this event made her fiancé tense and imagined that the wedding the next week would be no different. As she approached him, he wrapped his arms around her and drew her close to him. She took a deep inhale of his clothes as he kissed the top of her head. 

“You smell absolutely divine, my love.” She said as she recognized the scent as being the same as her amortentia had been when Professor Snape had given the Ministry required lesson on the powerful love potion. Even though the smell of it wasn’t overly strong, she recognized the smell of cigarette smoke, but she didn’t care. It smelled of home to her.

“Thank you. I always aim to please you, darling.” She giggles as she brought her hand up to lightly stroke his face and leaned up to give him a light peck on the lips. 

Lily was standing with James as he talked to Sirius and Arthur Weasley as Harry and Remus rejoined the party. She smiled at the sight of the two young people. While Daphne Greengrass had not been the type of girl that she would have imagined for Harry, she found that the girl exceeded all of her expectations for what she would have wanted her son’s wife to be. It was the one instance where Lily was okay with being wrong. 

She looked over to where her daughter was talking to Ginny Weasley and noticed that Hermione Granger also noticed the couple. Lily felt a pit of dread in her stomach. She knew that these past couple of days watching Harry and Daphne together had not been easy for the bushy-haired witch. Lily cared for Hermione and she didn’t want to see the young witch get hurt, she knew that her infatuation with Harry would not end well for the brunette Gryffindor. While Hermione was a sensible girl, she was also a teenager prone to jealousy and acting on emotion. She remembers herself as having poured bad breath potions into the drinks of girls who she had noticed winking at James during their Hogwarts years. While she didn’t want to think that Hermione would lash out at her son or Daphne, she always kept it in the back of her mind as a possibility. She secretly hoped that the girl would decide to stay with the Weasleys after this night. Perhaps Molly would comment on needing help with the wedding preparations. Yet, Lily also noticed that Hermione and Ginny didn’t seem too fond of the bride. 

That was another reason why Lily was grateful for Daphne’s presence. Lily noticed that throughout the entire night, Daphne went out of her way to make sure that Fleur felt included and welcomed. While Lily herself had attempted to make the young French witch feel included, it was her responsibility as hostess to socialize with everyone and could not pay sole attention to Fleur for the entirety of the night. Yet, it would seem that her future daughter-in-law was confident enough to not be intimidated by the Veela, and Lily felt all the better for it. 

In her books, the night went swimmingly well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you all for your patience and support. Updates will be arriving few and far between, as I have said before I am a masters student and my priority is my schoolwork. That being said, I will try to make time for this story, and I will not (under any circumstances) be putting this story on hiatus any time soon. Again, thank you for your patience and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	10. Conspiracy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ideas and plans roam around Daphne's head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank all of you for your patience. I know that this chapter isn't super substantive but I do have a purpose for including it. I hope you all enjoy it!

Sleep evaded Daphne that night. It was easy for Daphne to understand why the event made Harry tense and uneasy. While there were different reasons for them to be tense, Daphne felt like a snake amongst lions. Sure there had been others there who weren’t Gryffindors, the Delacour family had gone to Beaubattons for many generations, and Tonks had been in Hufflepuff, she was ill at ease being the only Slytherin there.

As well there were other worries for her to have. She had felt so bad for Fleur, who had confided in Daphne that she always dreamed of getting married in a beautiful ballroom in Paris but had to settle for a wedding at the Burrow to satisfy her to be mother-in-law. Fleur stated that she knew the Weasley women did not like her and she felt that she had to appease their tastes for the wedding. Daphne was terrified of suffering a similar predicament; while neither Lily nor Euphemia showed hostility towards her there was still a chance that those feelings could change. What if the Potter women grew to resent the influence she had on Harry or what if her family went through with their threats against Harry’s life? While she knew it was an irrational fear to have, she couldn’t help but let her mind wander after seeing how the Weasley women and Granger all glared at Fleur throughout the whole evening.

As her head rested on his chest she looked at his sleeping face and her tensions eased slightly. Somehow the feeling of being in his arms relaxed her and eased her tensions. She was almost afraid of how much she loved him. The thought of losing him, to either her parents or anything else terrified her. He had the ability to break her and she knew it from the moment of their first kiss. Not only did he have the ability to knock her off of her feet with one smile but he also had the ability to make her laugh. His wit was so quick and he was able to be so nonchalant whilst insulting someone that those on the receiving end rarely realized they had just been insulted. She got pleasure out of watching the look on people’s faces when they realized they had just been insulted by the eldest Potter sibling. For all of his seriousness, Harry ignited a passion in her. When it came down to it there wasn’t anything she wouldn’t do to keep him, and that scared her.

“Go to sleep, my love. I can hear you thinking.” Harry said in a husky tone, startling her from her thoughts.

“I can’t.” She responded. “I’m thinking of how much I love you.” He smiled. He wrapped her in his arms and she was enveloped in his intoxicating scent.

“Really now? I thought I heard you worrying.” Of course, he knew what was on her mind. He always seemed to know what was on her mind so why would now be an exception.

“I was thinking about weddings.” She said. He was now looking down at her.

“Oh?” She knew he was trying to gauge more out of her.

“More specifically I was thinking about poor Fleur and how cruel the Weasley women and Hermione have been to her. She told me dreamed of this beautiful wedding in Paris but gave it up in the hopes that Mrs, Weasley would come to like her.”

“And you’re worried that you may go through something similar.” Harry finished for her.

“Yes.”

“My mum and Mrs. Weasley are two different people. Mrs. Weasley does have good qualities, she’s a loving mother and fiercely protective, like my mother, but she can sometimes be a little overbearing. When she imagined who Bill would marry, she imagined a homely girl who would be meek and mild-mannered. When Bill proposed to Fleur, who is not only incredibly beautiful and fierce in her own right, she saw her role in Bill’s life replaced by Fleur.” Harry sighed “My mother is different. She just wants what is best for us. You probably weren’t what she imagined for me either but I know she can see how much you love me. When she said you were her daughter now, she was serious about that.”

“So you don’t think your mum would insist on our wedding being planned her way?”

“No, I don’t think she will.” He paused. “What else is worrying you?” He knew her too well.

“My father.”

“Are you afraid of him challenging me to a duel?”

“Yes.” She lifted herself onto her hand to get a better look at him. “Are you not afraid of him?”

“Not terribly.” He admitted, sounding more like a Gryffindor than a Ravenclaw. She was aghast at his admission.

“Harry, how could you not be? I know the Greengrass family has been fairly neutral in wizarding wars of the past, but it would be a mistake to underestimate my father. He has a natural affinity for dark arts.”

“It’s not so much that I don’t understand his capabilities, but rather I have tricks of my own.”

“Harry…”

“Darling, you worry. I understand that.” She closed her eyes and lowered herself down to his chest. She placed herself in a position where she could hear his heartbeat which comforted her and lulled her back to sleep.

It didn’t help that he wasn’t in the bed when she woke up the next morning. She jumped out of bed and threw a long white nightgown over her head She then grabbed the long green robe Lily had gifted her when she first moved in. She tied it tightly around her waist and rushed out of the room.

She glided down the stairs as fast as she could. She went to where she thought her lover might be enjoying his breakfast. Everyone was at the table with the exception of James and Harry. Daphne’s heart instantly plummeted. What if her father had officially challenged Harry to a duel and James had decided to discuss strategy with his son? She tried hard to hide her fear, given that Holden’s friends were still present at Potter Manor with Ginny Weasley present, but she must not have concealed it well enough given that Lily looked at her with concern.

“Harry will be back in a moment dear. James just wanted to property management with him as soon as he came down, but it shouldn’t take them too long.” Daphne breathed an internal sigh of relief. As a Slytherin, Daphne was always trying to be one step ahead of her enemy. In this case, given that their enemy was Daphne’s father, she knew she needed to be prepared for the worst.

She grabbed two teacups and took a seat that had an empty spot next to her. She poured tea into both cups. In her own, she put a lot of milk and three spoons of sugar. In Harry’s, she put two spoons of sugar and no milk. She took a long sip of hers and felt her nerves instantly calm.

“Lily, has anyone ever told you that you brew the best tea?” Daphne asked admiring her future mother-in-law’s skill once again. Lily paused and looked at her with a fond smile on her face. Daphne was almost worried for a second that she said something wrong when she thought she saw tears in the woman’s eyes.

“Yes, but it’s been a very long time. My mother used to say that to me when I was a young girl.” Daphne smiled up at Lily and went back to enjoying her tea.

“Greengrass, I think you forgot to add milk to Harry’s tea,” Granger said. Daphne closed her eyes and tried to swallow her irritation as she took another sip of her tea. She set down the cup and looked over at the curly-headed girl with a deathly sweet smile on her face.

“Harry doesn’t take milk in his tea.”

“Oh?” Granger queried, the condescension clear in her voice. “Since when?” Daphne noticed Euphemia roll her eyes at the older girl’s conduct and she internally smiled.

“Since our fifth year.” Before Granger could say anything more Harry and James walk into the dining room. Harry took his seat next to Daphne with a copy of the Prophet in his hand. He began to read the article on the front page as he took a large gulp of his tea. He went to put the cup down but he decided to take another large gulp. His brow furrowed as he concentrated on the front-page story. Daphne smiled and reached for one of the scones and set it on her plate. She then reached for the clotted cream and put a dollop on her plate alongside a spoonful of the strawberry and rose jam. When she was done Harry gently kissed her cheek and whispered his thanks for the tea in her ear. She

Holden looked at Hermione who seemed dissatisfied with the couple’s quiet interactions. He thought back to what Daphne had said the night before about her reservations about Hermione, and he could see the validity of her complaint.

“Harry” he addressed his twin. Harry looked up at Holden. “What’s on the Prophet?”

“Apparently there’s a rumor in the Ministry that Scrimgeour is going to try challenge Fudge for Minister of Magic. They believe that Scrimgeour is going to request an audience with the Queen to request she call for a special election.”

“On what basis?” James asked.

“The article states that there are those close to Fudge that have accused him and Umbridge of embezzling hundreds of thousands of galleons from the Ministry’s vault at Gringotts and into their own. Knowing both Fudge and Umbridge then there is probably merit to the rumors.” Holden nodded and went back to his breakfast.

“How’s your tea?” He asked as he cut into a slice of bacon. He saw Hermione look at him then at his brother. Harry looked up at him.

“My tea? It’s perfect. Nice and strong.” He then went back to reading the newspaper. Holden noticed his friend’s shoulders sag in disappointment while the blonde sitting at the other side of the table smirked before taking a bite of her scone. The rest of breakfast went on quietly.

Daphne didn’t know what she would do that day. Harry was helping manage the family’s business while James attended to his Wizengamot duties. She was on her way to Lily’s potions workshop but noticed the three Gryffindor girls sitting in the family’s drawing-room. It would appear that Euphemia was looking at a new fashion catalog while the other two girls were gossiping. Daphne could tell that her fiance's sister was irritated by whatever the other two girls were saying. She stepped out of the doorway before any of the girls noticed her. Daphne didn’t know of any drama between the three girls but by Euphemia’s expression at breakfast perhaps the Potter daughter was also thought Granger and Weasley have overstayed their welcome.

“I mean, did you see her smirk when he bolted from the table? She must have said something that upset him. How could he stay with someone so cruel?” She heard Granger say. Daphne rolled her eyes. Granger was being painfully obvious how jealous she was that Daphne was with Harry and she wasn’t. It was pathetic.

“Did you see how she lorded over him at breakfast? Like we get it, you know how he likes his tea, it’s not that big of a deal.” The Weasley girl said. While Daphne didn’t have a reason to dislike Ginny last night, she did now.

“Exactly! Like so what? He likes strong tea. We get it! Do you want a prize for knowing how your boyfriend likes his tea?” Daphne felt herself getting angry at their words.

“WILL YOU TWO JUST SHUT UP?!” Euphemia yelled; slamming her catalog on a nearby coffee table. “All you two do is talk about one girl you don’t like then another! First, it was Lavendar, then it was Fleur, and now it's Daphne! I mean will you two ever just get a life of your own!”

“Ex-” Hermione was about to say before she was interrupted.

“No, I’m sick of it! Neither of you know anything about Harry and Daphne’s relationship so what is it to you! I would be acting the exact same way if you just stared at my boyfriend all day! You two just go on and on about other people’s relationships when you know nothing about them! They aren’t breaking up anytime soon Hermione, so might I suggest just move on!” Euphemia said. She picked her catalog back up while the other two girls just looked at her aghast. Daphne got a wicked idea.

She waited until the room had quieted before entering. She went right up to Euphemia and softly cleared her throat. All three girls looked up at her.

“Euphemia, I was wondering if you wanted to go shopping with me? I still don’t have anything to wear to the wedding and I wanted to see if we could find something at a muggle store.” Daphne didn’t need to look in the direction of Granger or Weasley to know that she was being glared at.

“Of course, Daphne. I would love to go with you. Let’s see if mum wants to join us.”

Fifty points to Slytherin.


	11. Conquest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daphne seeks to drive the final blow while dress shopping

Unfortunately for Daphne and Euphemia, Lily had insisted that they be joined by Hermione and Ginny. While Euphemia was peeved that her mother invited the other two girls to come, she could understand the logic of it. Lily Potter was not a witch to be accused of being inhospitable to her guests. Lily had explained to her daughter that it would be incredibly rude to just leave the other two girls at the house while they shopped. Euphemia had then tried to explain to her mother the rude and awful things Hermione and Ginny had been saying about Daphne, but Lily wouldn't budge and Euphemia folded. 

Daphne on the other hand used the presence of the other girls to her advantage. While Daphne knew that it wasn’t nice to use another person’s insecurities against them in a fight, she wasn’t interested in being nice. The other girl wanted to take Harry away from her, therefore no tactic was off the table. Daphne knew that the other girl was self-conscious about her appearance. While Daphne didn’t think Granger was hideous she recalled how others in their year made fun of her for her big front teeth and her hair being big. Daphne didn’t have any animosity for Granger until she noticed how Granger would stare at Harry. Daphne would be the first to admit that she was a jealous witch and the thought of any other girl pining over what was hers made that envious green monster in her swell. Harry knew she got jealous easily; she had admitted it to him when their relationship was still very young. He understood that it came from her relationship with her family and was constantly reassuring her. 

It was with that logic that Daphne chose her outfit for the day. She decided to wear a navy blue tank dress that came up to her thighs and hugged all of her curves. Around her neck, she wore a black choker that Harry had given her when they first started dating. She put her signature black hair ribbon in her hair and a pair of sneakers that Lily had bought for her. She went to Harry’s closet and grabbed a jean jacket that she had bought him for his birthday last year. She looked herself over in the mirror and smiled wickedly. With the light makeup she had applied, she was confident in her appearance. 

When she jotted down the stairs she noticed that only Euphemia was waiting to leave in the foyer. Did the other two girls go upstairs to try and put some effort into their appearance or did they just need to change out of their nightclothes? 

“Are we still waiting on your Mum and the others?” She asked Euphemia. 

“Yeah, Mum she said she had a couple of potions to bottle up but she’ll be here soon. I think Hermione and Ginny just needed to change.” Daphne nodded.

“Good. I was going to go say goodbye to Harry real quick before we leave.” She turned around to leave but Euphemia stopped her.

“Daphne, I’m sorry about how Hermione has been behaving. I knew she had a crush on Harry but I thought it was just a little one that she would get over. But if it makes you feel better, I don’t think that she is going to be able to do anything. She may try but it’s obvious to anyone with sense that Harry would never cheat on you.” Daphne smiled at the younger girl.

“Thank you, Euphemia. It does make me feel better.” Daphne said as she went to James’ study where she knew Harry was. She knocked lightly and opened the door. He was so focused on the papers in front of him that he didn’t notice her come in. She smiled at him as made her way over to where he was sitting. He had his head in his hand as his brow furrowed at whatever was on the paper. When she came closer to him he looked up at her. He didn’t say anything but she knew she had his approval when his eyes roamed over her body. He got up from the desk and quickly went to where she was standing in the middle of the room. 

Before she could say anything he took her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. Her hands went to his shoulders as he moved his arms around her waist. Working the numbers of his family’s finances must have been stressful for him because his mouth tasted slightly of cigarettes and mint gum, a flavor that she enjoyed. When the kiss broke she smiled up at him. 

“Are you going somewhere?” He asked as he gave her another once over. She smirked at his reaction. The dress clearly had the desired effect on him. 

“Yes, us girls are going to go dress shopping. I still need something for the wedding. I hope you don’t mind if I borrow your jacket.”

“You know I don’t. I actually quite like seeing you in my clothes.” She laughed at that. He kissed her again. While the kiss had started sweet and innocent it quickly turned more passionate. She smiled into the kiss when she felt his hands move from her waist to her rear. She broke the kiss off.

“Not now Harry.” She said with a slight laugh in her voice. His lips traced the length of her neck. “I really need a dress for the wedding.” He hummed against her skin as he sucked a bloom on the base.

“I prefer you without one.” She laughed. 

“My darling, I know that as well as you do but I don’t want to leave poor Euphemia alone with those harpies.” He lightly blew a raspberry into her neck and she laughed. “Later, I promise.” She went to the door to leave and opened it. 

“Daph” he called. She turned around, still gripping the doorframe. “I love you.” She smiled at him.

“I love you too.” She said as she blew him a kiss. He caught the kiss in his fist. He then put that fist to his heart. She giggled as she skipped to the foyer. She looked at herself in a mirror in one of the hallways and noticed a small patch of red skin on the base of her neck. She should have told Harry to be more careful than to leave marks but she enjoyed it too much to stop him. She cast a quick glamour charm on the spot and assessed the rest of her appearance. As she was straightening out her dress Euphemia came up to her. The other girl smirked at her as she took her hand and guided her to the foyer where three more lionesses were waiting for a snake. 

The shop was full of color. Beautiful gowns of silk, satin, and taffeta hung all around the store. Daphne couldn’t help but run her hand over the beautiful dresses before her. She was enjoying exploring all of the cuts and styles that were available. Wizarding dress robes all had similar cuts and textures. Daphne had a special interest in muggle fashion. She had been raised in the upper echelons of pureblood society and constantly went to balls where women wore large frilly robes all cut in an unflattering manner that hid their form. It was suddenly in her third year where she found a French muggle fashion magazine. She remembered being amazed by the beauty of the woman on the cover and the clothes she was wearing. Daphne later learned that the woman’s name was Naomi Campbell. She had read the whole thing from front to back. When she was finished she went to an older muggle-born Hufflepuff and begged to borrow any fashion magazines she had, specifically anything that featured Naomi Campbell. The older girl was happy to help her and had given her more than ten when they returned to school from break. 

Ever since Daphne preferred muggle clothes. Her parents never paid her enough mind to notice the change in her fashion and Daphne would sneak away to muggle London to buy muggle clothes. She hoped that in the coming years that clothes more similar to muggle clothes would become popular in the wizarding world. It was her goal to bring the same fashions that were not popular in magical Europe and America to Britain. She knew she had her work cut out for her as Wizarding Britain wasn’t known for being progressive. 

She was taken out of her thoughts as Euphemia picked out an emerald beaded green dress and held it up against herself. 

“Mia!” Daphne exclaimed. “Yes! I love it. It is so you!” The dress was more form-fitting with a low square neckline and cap sleeves. The younger girl nodded at the blonde and Daphne followed her as she looked for her mum. 

Lily was thumbing through gowns with Hermione and Ginny when the two girls found her. 

“Mum!” Euphemia exclaimed excitedly. Lily looked up as her daughter gave her the brightest smile. Lily looked over the dress. “Can I please get it?”

“Try it on but I think it may give your father a heart attack,” Lily said with a wry smile on her face. One thing that Daphne has noticed about the Potter family is their wicked sense of humor. She loved it. Daphne followed the younger girl as she tried it on. She gave her approval to the younger girl as she stepped on the pedestal to look at herself in the many mirrors of the store. The dress fit her perfectly and Daphne immediately approved. Though Daphne had a lingering suspicion that the younger girl had a crush on one of the older Weasley boys but she wasn’t sure which one. Daphne had an idea of which one it was and thought that he was perhaps a little old for her soon-to-be sister-in-law but she was confident that if he were to be interested in the younger girl he would at least wait for her to be of an appropriate age. 

It was then that she noticed it. The richness of the royal blue satin is what caught her eye at first. There was no embellishment on the dress but the color of the fabric was so beautiful it didn’t need any jewels or beads. When the other girl left the changing rooms she noticed that the blonde girl was staring at something on the rack. 

Euphemia followed Daphne to the back of the store. The older girl grabbed the dress from the rack and Euphemia’s mouth dropped. The dress screamed Daphne. It was an elegant a-line cut gown of the deepest blue the younger girl had ever seen. It had a plunging v-neckline that connected to a wide band around the waist. The dress was simple but utterly gorgeous. Daphne turned the dress to look at the back of it. The dress’ spaghetti straps crossed at the back. Daphne turned to the younger girl.

“Should I try it on?” The redhead gaped at her in disbelief. 

“You would be insane not to, Daphne! You HAVE to try it on. That color would so compliment your hair and eyes.” Daphne smiled as Euphemia followed her to the dressing rooms. 

Hermione and Ginny apparently wanted nothing from the store despite Lily offering to pay for a dress. The three eventually found Euphemia sitting anxiously on one of the couches waiting for Daphne to come out. 

“Are you two ready?” Lily asked her daughter.

“Daphne is trying on a dress,” Euphemia answered, still waiting on the other girl to come out of the changing room. It was then that Daphne came out. There was silence among the group.

The dress fit her perfectly. It was as though the gown was meant for her. The way the skirt pleated made it look fit for a princess or a wealthy heiress. It was then she noticed it. Daphne bent her knee and a shapely thigh came out from the dress. Euphemia had been right. The rich royal blue looked stunning on her pale skin. It highlighted her form perfectly, especially her cleavage. In other words, she looked utterly sinful. Of course, she would need a pair of silver heels but she was pretty sure she had a pair somewhere in what she had bought with Lily the other day. 

“Daphne, I am saying this will all of the kindness in my heart. You would be stupid not to get this dress!” Euphemia exclaimed. Daphne turned around and found that all four lionesses were staring at her. Lily’s expression was more similar to her daughter’s look of approval. Hermione looked like she was trying to hide the fact she was intimidated while Ginny looked scandalized at the amount of skin showing. Daphne relished her reactions. “That dress will drive Harry absolutely mad” Euphemia added with a mischievous grin. 

“Good,” Daphne stated. “That’s my goal.”


	12. Embrace

It had been lucky that he found the ashtray. While Harry knew that his father would be onto him as soon as he came into his office while the room reeked of cigarette smoke, he was more concerned about falling ash burning holes into the very important documents. Normally, Harry wouldn’t have needed to smoke to take care of the family finances but his brother’s friends had been getting increasingly on his nerves. Harry could only stomach Ron in moderation and he had been at Potter Manor for over three days. Furthermore, Harry was getting irritated at how Granger was purposefully trying to goad Daphne. While Hermione was a pretty girl he had never thought of her as being more than one of his brother’s friends. Daphne was his everything and he didn’t appreciate how she was being harassed in his home by people who had no claim over the manor. Harry couldn’t understand his brother’s need to have all of his friends at their family home for days on end during the summer. Harry too had many friends, but he never felt the need to have them over for days on end. Harry’s friends hadn’t been over for more than a couple of hours meanwhile Hermione and Ron had been in and out of Potter Manor throughout the entire summer. 

When James walked into his study he was greeted by a wall of smoke. He coughed as pushed through the smoke with a familiar scent and walked towards his desk. His eldest son was sitting at his desk flicking ash into an ashtray that Sirius had gifted him their sixth year at Hogwarts. James was astonished upon seeing six finished cigarettes on the ashtray and putting the seventh one out. 

“I didn’t know you smoked,” James said. Harry looked up at him and looked back down at the papers.

“I usually don’t at home,” he responded as he brought the cigarette back up to his lips. 

“What’s changed that?” 

“You mean besides being an eagle living in the Lion’s den?” Harry asked with a smirk on his lips. “Well, I would say having a fiancée who enjoys teasing her and my brother’s friends trying to make her feel unwelcome in what should be her home.”

“I understand that, son. I just never took you for a smoker. Perhaps we left you with Moony a little too often when you were growing up?”

“Shows that you’ve never been in Ravenclaw tower on a Friday night.” James’ brow arched at the comment.

“You guys just smoke in your common room?”

“Basically. You’ll never meet a Ravenclaw in Hogwarts who doesn’t smell faintly of cigarette smoke.” 

“Are you sure it isn’t just your generation?”

“Terry said his dad told him it was the same when he was in Hogwarts. But to be fair, I do smoke more than your average Ravenclaw. Probably more akin to Remus before a full moon. Anthony Goldstein says it’s because I’m too tense for my own good.” It was then that Harry looked up at his father. He was surprised at how calm his father was at catching his eldest son smoking in his study. “Do you want your seat back?”

“Yes, please. After we go over these numbers I have some paperwork to work on for Wizengamot.” Harry nodded and got up from the large red leather chair. When his father was ready, Harry explained the numbers. For the most part, the family finances were the same as they had been in previous quarters with some of their investments making slight increases in profits. When he was finished he left his father with his work he went to the family room to wait for Daphne to come back from dress shopping. Harry had missed her all day and all he wanted to do was relax with her after a whole day of crunching numbers. He wanted to stick his face in her hair and smell that familiar scent of strawberries and flowers. 

On his way, he stopped by their bedroom and grabbed the magical theory book that his best friend Terry’s girlfriend, Lisa Turpin, had sent him for his birthday. He sat on one of the sofas in the family room and perched his feet on a nearby ottoman. He was deep into the discussion on the different impacts that will and intent have on the outcome of a spell when he heard activity in the foyer. Harry marked his place in the book and got up from his relaxed position. 

The illuminating smile that she gave him when she looked at him knocked the breath out of his lungs. Harry often wondered what he did right in previous lives to be lucky enough to have such a beautiful soul love him. She came up to him, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him down to her in a warm embrace. As he wished, he was able to feel the softness of Daphne’s hair on his face and was enveloped by her sweet scent. 

“You smell absolutely divine, my love,” she whispered into his ear. He smiled into her hair and held her tighter. Neither of them noticed everyone else slowly making their way about separate destinations within the house, with Hermione having to be pulled away by Ginny. Daphne’s hands moved away from his neck and down to his shoulders. She pulled away from him slightly and frowned. 

“Why are you tense?” She asked him, the worry clear on his face.

“I’ve spent all day balancing all of the family’s investments. Dad has invested in many businesses, both magical and muggle, and they usually turn out a pretty good profit. This quarter we made an especially good profit.” She stared into his eyes. He knew she was searching for something else. 

“There’s more,” she prodded. “Harry, dearest, what’s wrong?” 

“I’m tired of the unwanted house guests.” He said. “Especially those who try to make you feel on edge and unwelcome. It’s been very hard for me to keep my temper in check.” Her expression softened. She brought her hand to his cheek and gently rubbed her thumb along his cheekbone. His face leaned into the gentle embrace. 

Daphne often marveled at how tender her Harry was. She knew that no one, not even his family, saw this side of him. This side of him was gentle and vulnerable. He hadn’t been as broken as she had been at the start of their relationship, but he had had his own cracks that needed paving. They had worked very hard during the early days of their relationship to repair the invisible damage to persons.

Harry had spent his childhood being compared and overshadowed by his younger twin brother. As children, Holden had been arrogant and overconfident in his ability with his only achievement has been from when they were still babies in the crib. Harry told her that Holden used to relentlessly bully his twin and claim himself as the stronger twin. Apparently, the younger Potter brother got sick pleasure at the knowledge that if he pushed his brother’s buttons and Harry would get in trouble for reacting. He had even told Harry that their father would make him the heir instead; claiming that he was so powerful that Harry was basically a squib in comparison. While the thought was illogical, Harry was so afraid that his father would decide to skip him as the heir and make Holden the Potter heir that he began to read every book in the Potter library to give himself the edge over his brother. The Potter family had been shocked when their heir had been sorted into Ravenclaw instead of Gryfinndor like the many generations before him. The family was even more shocked to discover that it was Harry who was the faster of the twins in mastering new potions and spells and not Holden. Holden had been barely able to cast a levitation charm while Harry perfected it instantly. Holden would eventually leave his brother alone.

Daphne had built her defenses after a childhood of being forgotten. Octavia Greengrass had been so indifferent towards her that she had neglected to name her after she was born. Daphne Aphrodite Greengrass had been named by her great-grandmother, Lady Aphrodite Greengrass, who died seven months after she had been born. Gaius Greengrass had resented his eldest child for being born a girl, rather than the male heir he needed and desired. Her mother left children rearing to the family’s house-elves and Daphne’s paternal grandmother in favor of being a society wife of the highest echelons of pureblood society. Daphne had been content with this existence until Astoria Hecate Greengrass was born. It was said that after the younger Greengrass sister was born, Lord and Lady Greengrass finally fell in love with one of their children. Gaius didn’t fault the baby for being born a girl and Octavia coddled and overindulged her second daughter. It was as though Daphne didn’t exist. Daphne remembers thinking that Astoria was the most unremarkable baby she had ever met. She couldn’t understand why her parents loved her stupid younger sister so much. As they grew the answer still evaded her. She knew she was prettier than her younger sister, she was smarter, and her manners were better than the overindulgent brat. Daphne grew to resent her sister and her parents. The only person Daphne had felt loved by had been her grandmother. And then came Harry.

He had broken past her walls and mask of ice as she had slithered her way past his defenses and the many layers of him. She knew that she knew him better than any other person in the world. Their relationship was the most intimate bond that she had ever experienced, both physically and emotionally. Their bond ran deep within her bones, and she knew that he felt the same way. He would never be rid of her as she will never be rid of him. No person had ever been who was more important to her than Harry Potter. 

She gently reached up to lightly kiss his lips. He returned the gentle kiss. When they broke the kiss she hugged him; enveloping him in a warm comforting embrace that succeeded in melting his tensions away.

“I found the perfect house for us.” He said breaking the comforting silence between them.

“Oh,” she asked. “Tell me about it.”

“It’s a white brick house that’s sitting on two acres off the coast of Brighton. It has about four bedrooms. It’s right by the ocean, just like you always dreamed of.” She felt the tears well up in her eyes. She had told him that after their first time making love. They talked about their dreams for the future and she mentioned her dream home. It had been the only time they talked about it.

“I can’t believe you remembered that.” She said as she marveled at how lucky she was to be loved by him.

“When it comes to you, my love, I remember everything.” She wiped the tears from her eyes as they broke their embrace. He offered her his hand and she took it. He led her to a part of the manor that she had never been to in all of her time exploring the grand house. He stopped in front of a large ornate door and held it open for her. When she stepped in the room lit up and she found herself in the most beautiful ballroom she had ever been in. 

She didn’t see the spell work Harry had performed to make the music start playing but she recognized the song instantly. She looked to her fiancé, who had his hand extended to her, and took it. She was pulled into a sweet embrace and closed her eyes and she leaned against his chest, enjoying the feel of him.

They swayed together to the familiar song.

“At last,” the voice of Etta James played through the mostly empty ballroom, “my love has come along. My lonely days are over, and life was like a song.” They enjoyed their solitude as they danced.


End file.
